Nuclear icebreakers of the world. The world's largest nuclear icebreaker was launched. A brief history of the ship

The first icebreaker in the world appeared in the 18th century. It was not a very large steamer, capable of breaking ice in Philadelphia harbor. It has been a long time since the wheel was replaced by a turbine, and then a powerful nuclear reactor appeared. Today, huge nuclear-powered ships break through the Arctic ice with enormous power.

What is an icebreaker?

This is a vessel used in thick ice-covered waters. are equipped with nuclear power plants, and therefore have more power than diesel ones, making them easier to conquer frozen water bodies. Icebreakers have another clear advantage - they do not need refueling.

Below in the article is presented the largest icebreaker in the world (dimensions, design, features, etc.). Also, after reading the material, you can get acquainted with the world's largest liners of this type.

General information

It should be noted that all 10 existing nuclear icebreakers were built and launched during the Soviet and Russian times. The irreplaceability of such liners is proved by the operation that took place in 1983. At that time, about fifty ships, including diesel icebreakers, were in the east of the Arctic, in an ice trap. Only thanks to the nuclear power plant they were able to free themselves from captivity and deliver important cargoes to nearby settlements.

It has been a long time to build nuclear-powered ships in Russia, because only our state has a great contact with the Arctic Ocean - the famous sea Northern Route, the length of which is 5 thousand 600 kilometers. It starts from and ends at Providence Bay.

There is one interesting point: icebreakers are specially painted dark red so that they are clearly visible in the ice.

Below in the article are the largest icebreakers in the world (top 10).

Icebreaker "Arctic"

One of the largest icebreakers, the Arktika nuclear-powered ship, went down in history as the very first surface ship that reached the North Pole. In 1982-1986 it was called Leonid Brezhnev. Its laying took place in Leningrad, at the Baltic plant, in July 1971. More than 400 enterprises and associations, design and research scientific and other organizations took part in its creation.

The icebreaker was launched into the water at the end of 1972. The purpose of the vessel is to pilot ships across the Arctic Ocean.

The length of the nuclear-powered ship is 148 meters, and the side is about 17 meters high. Its width is 30 meters. The capacity of the steam generating nuclear plant is more than 55 megawatts. The technical indicators of the vessel made it possible to break through ice with a thickness of 5 meters, and its speed in clear water developed up to 18 knots.

Below are the 10 largest (longest) modern icebreakers around the world:

1. "Sevmorput" is an icebreaking transport vessel. Its length is 260 meters, its height corresponds to the dimensions of a multi-storey building. The vessel is capable of passing through 1 meter thick ice.

2. "Arktika" - the largest nuclear-powered icebreaker 173 meters long. It was launched in 2016 and represents the first nuclear icebreaker of the Russian Federation. It is capable of breaking ice up to 3 meters thick.

3. "50 Years of Victory" - a nuclear-powered icebreaker (the largest in the world) of the "Arctic" class, distinguished by its impressive power and deep landing. Its length is 159.6 meters.

4. "Taimyr" is a nuclear-powered river icebreaker that breaks ice at river mouths up to 1.7 meters thick. Its length is 151.8 meters. A feature of the vessel is a reduced fit and the ability to operate at low extreme temperatures.

5. "Vaygach" - built according to one project with "Taimyr" (but it is a little younger). Nuclear equipment was installed on the ship in 1990. Its length is 151.8 m.

6. "Yamal" - famous for the fact that it was on this icebreaker that the meeting of the beginning of the third millennium took place at the North Pole. The total number of trips of the nuclear-powered ship to this point was almost 50. Its length is 150 meters.

7. Healy is the largest icebreaker in the United States. In 2015, the Americans were able to travel to the North Pole on it for the first time. The research vessel is equipped with the latest laboratory and measuring equipment. Its length is 128 meters.

8. PolarSea is one of the oldest icebreakers in the United States of America, built in 1977. Seattle is a home port. The length of the vessel is 122 meters. Perhaps, due to old age, it will soon be written off.

9. Louis S. St-Laurent is the largest icebreaker built in Canada (120 meters in length) in 1969 and completely modernized in 1993. This is the first ship in the world to reach the North Pole in 1994.

10. Polarstern - German nuclear-powered ship, built in 1982 and designed for scientific research. The oldest ship is 118 meters long. In 2017, Polarstern-II will be built, which will replace its predecessor and take over the watch in the Arctic.

The largest icebreaker in the world: photo, description, purpose

"50 Let Pobedy" is a largely modernized experimental project of the 2nd series of icebreakers of the "Arktika" type. This vessel uses a spoon-shaped bow. It was first used in the development of the experimental Canmar Kigoriyak (icebreaker, Canada) in 1979 and has convincingly proved its effectiveness.

It is the largest and most powerful in the world equipped with a modern digital automatic control system. It also has a modernized complex of means for biological protection of a nuclear power plant. It is also equipped with an ecological compartment, equipped with the latest modern equipment that collects and disposes of waste products of the personnel on the ship.

The icebreaker "50 Let Pobedy" is engaged not only in freeing other ships from ice captivity, it is also focused on performing tourist cruises. Of course, there are no passenger cabins on the ship, so tourists are accommodated in the usual cabins of the ship. However, the ship is equipped with a restaurant, sauna, swimming pool and gym.

A brief history of the ship

The world's largest icebreaker is 50 Years of Victory. It was designed in Leningrad, at the Baltic Shipyard, in 1989, and 4 years later it was built and launched for the first time. However, its construction was not completed due to financial turmoil. Only in 2003 was its construction resumed, and in February 2007 tests began in the Gulf of Finland. Murmansk became his home port.

Despite the protracted start, today the ship has over a hundred trips to the North Pole.

The most powerful and largest icebreaker "50 Let Pobedy" is the 8th nuclear icebreaker, designed and built at the Baltic Shipyard.

"Siberia"

At one time, the Soviet Union had no equal in the field of building nuclear icebreakers. In those days, there were no such ships anywhere in the world, while the USSR had 7 nuclear icebreakers. For example, "Siberia" is a ship that has become a direct continuation of nuclear installations of the "Arctic" type.

The vessel was equipped with a satellite communications system responsible for fax, navigation and telephone communications. It also had all the amenities: a relaxation room, a swimming pool, a sauna, a library, a training room and a huge dining room.

The icebreaker "Siberia" went down in history as the first ship that made year-round navigation from Murmansk to Dudinka. It is also the second ship to reach the top of the planet at the North Pole.

In 1977 (the moment the icebreaker was put into operation) it had the largest dimensions: 29.9 meters - width, 147.9 meters - length. In those days, he was the world's largest icebreaker.

The importance of icebreakers

The importance of such vessels in the near future will only increase, because in the future, many activities are planned for the active development of natural resources under the bottom of the great Arctic Ocean.

In some areas, navigation lasts only 2-4 months, because the rest of the time all the water is covered with ice up to 3 meters thick or more. In order not to risk the ship and the crew, and also in order to save fuel from the icebreakers, planes and helicopters are sent to conduct reconnaissance in search of an easier way.

The world's largest icebreakers have an important feature - they can autonomously cruise the Arctic Ocean for a year, breaking with their bows of an unusual shape of ice up to 3 meters thick.

Conclusion

The USSR at one time had absolute dominance in the world in the number of such ships. In total, seven nuclear icebreakers were built in those days.

Since 1989, some icebreakers of this type have been used for tourist excursions, mostly to the North Pole.

In winter, the thickness of ice in the ocean is on average 1.2-2 meters, and in some areas it reaches 2.5 meters, but nuclear icebreakers are capable of walking on such waters at a speed of 20 kilometers per hour (11 knots). In ice-free waters, the speed can reach 45 kilometers per hour (or 25 knots).

Icebreakers were created by man and have been in use for a very long time. The first construction appeared in the 18th century. But outwardly, it looked more like a small steamer that was engaged in breaking ice in the harbor of Philadelphia. Much time has passed since then, but the need for such units has not diminished in the least, sometimes, even on the contrary.

Modern devices instead of a wheel have a turbine or a whole nuclear reactor. The list of the largest icebreakers in the world includes:

Northern Sea Route

Its length is 260 This is a Soviet icebreaking transport vessel (lighter carrier) with a nuclear power plant of the KLT-40 type. The largest of four non-military nuclear powered merchant ships ever built. The largest in terms of displacement of the lighter carriers.

The design and technical documentation of the lighter carrier was developed in 1978 at the Leningrad Central Design Bureau "Baltsudoproekt" on a special assignment from the government of the USSR. Built in Kerch, at the Zaliv shipyard. Laid down on November 2, 1984, launched on February 20, 1986. Commissioned in 1988.

It is the only vessel of Project 10081. Later it was planned to build a second ship of the same type, but with the collapse of the Soviet Union, work on it at the Zaliv Shipyard was stopped.

Arctic

The icebreaker is 173 meters long. This is a Russian nuclear-powered icebreaker of the LK-60Ya type (project 22220). It is the lead ship of the project. The icebreaker was laid down on November 5, 2013. Launched on June 16, 2016.

The deadline for the delivery of the lead icebreaker was scheduled for December 2017, but was not met, since OJSC Kirovsky Zavod was unable to supply turbine generators in 2015, as it was envisaged by the contract. The delay is due to the fact that these are the first such installations in the last 25 years, manufactured by the plant, and therefore required large-scale modernization of production.

The new planned delivery date for turbine generators is the second half of 2017. The new date for the commissioning of the icebreaker was announced in 2019.

50th Anniversary of Victory

It is an icebreaker 159.5 meters long. This project 10521 nuclear icebreaker is the largest in the world today. Its construction was carried out at the Baltic plant in Leningrad (later in St. Petersburg). It was laid down on October 4, 1989 under the name "Ural" and launched on December 29, 1993.

Further construction was suspended due to lack of funds. In 2003, construction was resumed, and on February 1, 2007, the icebreaker went to the Gulf of Finland for sea trials, which lasted two weeks. The flag was raised on March 23, 2007, and on April 11, the icebreaker arrived at the permanent home port of Murmansk. On July 30, 2013, the icebreaker reached the North Pole for the hundredth time.

Taimyr

Length - 151.8 m. This is a nuclear-powered icebreaker designed for escorting ships to the mouths of Siberian rivers. Differs in reduced draft. It is named after the Taimyr icebreaker ship of the early 20th century.

Vaygach

This is a shallow draft nuclear icebreaker of the Taimyr project (project 10580). It is 151.8 meters long. A distinctive feature of this icebreaker project is a reduced draft, which makes it possible to service ships following the Northern Sea Route, calling at the mouths of Siberian rivers. Named after the hydrographic icebreaking vessel of the early XX century "Vaygach".

Nuclear icebreaker "Yamal"

This is a Russian nuclear-powered icebreaker of the Arctic class. It has a length of 150 meters. The icebreaker was laid down on October 31, 1986, and launched on October 4, 1989. The original name was “October Revolution”, in 1992 it was renamed “Yamal”. Commissioned on October 27, 1992.

In 2000, the icebreaker made an expedition to the North Pole to meet the third millennium. Yamal is the seventh ship to reach the North Pole. In total, he made 46 flights to the North Pole.

Healy

USCGC Healy (WAGB-20) is a US Coast Guard research icebreaker. It was built by Avondale Shipyard, an independent shipyard located on the west bank of the Mississippi River about 20 miles upstream of New Orleans, Louisiana near Avondale, Louisiana.

The vessel is named after Michael Augustine Healy, Captain of the United States Coast Guard (born September 22, 1839; died August 30, 1904). The icebreaker was laid down on September 16, 1996. Launched on November 15, 1997, as a result of which 20 people were injured due to the resulting wave.

Commissioned on November 10, 1999. Icebreaker Healy joined USCGC Polar Star (WAGB-10), commissioned in 1976, and USCGC Polar Sea (WAGB-11), commissioned in 1977, home to Seattle. Washington state.

Polar Star (USCGC Polar Star)

This is an icebreaker built in the USA in 1976 and still operational (from 2007 to 2012 it was not in operation). The total power of its engines is 78 thousand liters. with., including diesel engines (18 thousand hp) for movement in light ice, and three gas turbine units (60 thousand hp) for overcoming heavy ice.

In terms of power characteristics, this icebreaker is comparable to nuclear-powered icebreakers of the "Arktika" type. Polar Star is capable of sailing at a speed of 3 knots in 2 m thick ice and forcing hummocked ice up to 4 m thick. The displacement of the icebreaker is 12 thousand tons, the length of the ship is 122 m. Cruising range without refueling is 45 thousand km.

Louis S. St. Laurent

It is 120 meters long. This is a Canadian-made icebreaker. In 1969 it underwent a complete modernization. This is the first icebreaker in the world to successfully reach the shores of the North Pole in the early 90s.

Polarstern (German Polarstern, "Polar Star")

This is a German research vessel, an icebreaker of the Institute for Polar and Marine Research. Alfred Wegener. Built and equipped at the Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft in Kiel and Nobiskrug in Rendsburg.

The vessel has a double hull with a length of 118 meters. Designed to operate at temperatures down to -50 ° C and is capable of breaking ice up to 1.5 meters thick at a speed of 5 knots. Commissioned in 1982 and is used primarily for the study of the Arctic and Antarctic.

Original taken from masterok in The largest icebreaker in the world

A nuclear icebreaker is a nuclear powered vessel built specifically for use in ice-covered waters throughout the year. Thanks to the atomic plant, they are much more powerful than diesel ones and it is easier for them to conquer frozen water bodies. Unlike other ships, icebreakers have a clear advantage - they do not need to refuel, which is especially important in ice, where there is no way to get fuel.

It is also unusual that out of 10 existing nuclear icebreakers in the world, all were built and then launched on the territory of the USSR and Russia. Their indispensability was shown by the operation that took place in 1983. About 50 vessels, including several diesel-powered icebreakers, were trapped in an ice trap in the east of the Arctic. And only with the help of the nuclear-powered icebreaker "Arktika" they were able to free themselves from captivity, delivering cargo to nearby villages.

The world's largest icebreaker is 50 Years of Victory. It was laid down at the Baltic Shipyard in Leningrad in 1989, and four years later it was launched. True, the construction did not end, but was frozen due to financial troubles. Only in 2003 it was decided to resume it, and in February 2007 "50 Years of Victory" began to undergo tests in the Gulf of Finland, which lasted a couple of weeks. Then he independently went to the port of registration - the city of Murmansk. Let's take a closer look at the history of the icebreaker:
1

50 Let Pobedy is the eighth nuclear-powered icebreaker built at the Baltic Shipyard and is currently the largest in the world. The icebreaker is a modernized project of the second series of nuclear-powered icebreakers of the "Arktika" type. "50 Years of Victory" is a largely experimental project. The vessel used a spoon-shaped bow, first used in the development of the Canadian experimental icebreaker "Canmar Kigoriyak" in 1979 and convincingly proved its effectiveness during trial operation. The icebreaker is equipped with a new generation digital automatic control system. The complex of biological protection means of a nuclear power plant has been modernized, which has passed re-certification in accordance with the requirements of Gostekhnadzor. An ecological compartment was also created, equipped with the latest equipment for the collection and disposal of all waste products of the vessel.
2

During the period from 1974 to 1989, a series of second-generation nuclear icebreakers was built in the Soviet Union (project 10520 and modernized project 10521). The lead ship of this series - the nuclear-powered icebreaker Arktika of Project 10520 - was laid down on July 3, 1971, and already on December 26, 1972, launched, and on April 25, 1975, put into operation.

On October 4, 1989 in Leningrad, on the slipway of the Baltic Shipyard named after Sergo Ordzhonikidze, an icebreaker of project 10521 was laid down, under the original name "Ural".

And although in the USSR the nuclear-powered ships were completely handed over in three or four years, it took Ural four years just to launch it, due to the then situation in the country's leadership and in the country as a whole.

It was expected that the ship would enter service in the mid-1990s, however, due to lack of funding, the construction of the icebreaker was suspended and the huge ship remained at the berth, only 72% ready.

Baltic Shipyard was forced to mothball the icebreaker at its own expense in order to preserve the possibility of its completion in the future.

Even the renaming of the icebreaker did not help to renew funding.

On August 4, 1995, on the eve of the visit of the then President of Russia to St. Petersburg and to the enterprise too, the nuclear-powered ship was renamed "50 Years of Victory".

For many years of useless downtime at the berth of the "Baltic Shipyard", several times it was proposed to saw and dispose of the ship, but it literally miraculously avoided it.

Some of its units had developed their own guaranteed resource, although the ship did not make a single voyage.

In the late 1990s, when partial financing of construction began, work on the 50 Let Pobedy icebreaker was resumed.

On October 31, 2002, government decree No. 1528-r was issued, according to which the completion of the 50 Let Pobedy icebreaker was planned to be completed in 2003-2005. To complete the work, 2.5 billion rubles were allocated from the state budget.

Until 2003, the construction of the icebreaker was financed on a general basis within the framework of the federal targeted investment program, and since 2003 - according to the order of the Government of the Russian Federation dated October 31, 2002 No. 1528-r.

In February 2003, the construction of the icebreaker entered an active phase after:

Baltiyskiy Zavod became part of the structure of shipbuilding assets of the United Industrial Corporation (UIC);

a contract for the completion of the ship was signed between OJSC “Baltiyskiy Zavod” and the Federal State Unitary Enterprise “Directorate of the State Customer of Marine Transport Development Programs”

public funds were allocated.

According to the signed contract, financing of the completion of the nuclear-powered ship in 2003-2005 was to be carried out at the expense of the federal budget. The quality of construction work on the icebreaker was to be controlled by representatives of the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping and the Murmansk Shipping Company.

On August 13, 2004, at a meeting in the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation, it was decided to increase funding for the construction of an icebreaker in the amount of 742.3 million rubles, of which 164 million were planned to be allocated in the 2005 budget and 578.3 million rubles - in the 2006 budget. The need for additional funding was caused by new requirements for ensuring nuclear safety in accordance with the requirements of Gosatomnadzor and the performance of work related to the long term of the ship's construction. In particular, funds were needed for the design and manufacture of the latest multi-channel reactor safety systems, as well as for the re-examination and revision of equipment and mechanisms.

On September 7, 2004, the icebreaker 50 Let Pobedy was towed to the dock of the Kronstadt Marine Plant. After that, the specialists of the Baltic Shipyard for the first time in the history of domestic shipbuilding carried out dock works on the icebreaker under construction. Previously, the docking of nuclear-powered ships was carried out only after several years of work and only at shipbuilding enterprises located in the Murmansk region.

Taking into account the fact that the underwater systems and devices were installed on the icebreaker in the early 1990s, during the completion of the ship, a check of their operability was required. The most time-consuming operation was the revision of the stern tube device, which is the support of the propeller shaft and is designed to prevent the penetration of seawater into the icebreaker's hull. For his examination, experts dismantled the propeller and propeller shaft. The dock work lasted 2 months. For the successful implementation of these works, the plant independently designed and manufactured special equipment. Serviceability of the stern tube device was a prerequisite for the start of mooring tests on the icebreaker.

The ship also examined: the right line of the propeller shaft, bottom-side fittings, systems of pipelines and bottom fittings protectors, electronic navigation devices, anode units and comparison electrodes of cathodic protection. In addition, the company's specialists washed the outer skin of the underwater part of the icebreaker, bottom boxes and branch pipes of the bottom-side fittings in the dock. Dock works were supervised by representatives of the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping and the Murmansk Shipping Company.

At the end of October 2004, after the completion of the dock works, the icebreaker was returned to the Baltic shipyard.

The hull, superstructure and stern mast of the vessel were fully formed, the installation of the main mechanical and electrical equipment was completed.

On November 31, 2004, a fire broke out on board the 50 Let Pobedy icebreaker moored at the quay wall of the Baltic Shipyard. It started at 08:45 on one of the upper decks where welders worked. The flames quickly spread across the deck, littered with building materials. A huge smoke screen formed over the icebreaker.

The firefighters who arrived on alert, first of all began to evacuate the workers, some of whom managed to ingest carbon monoxide. In total, firefighters took 52 people out of the burning ship. Only after finishing with the evacuation, they began to search for fires. According to preliminary data, it was located on the third and fourth decks, where builders stored combustible building materials. The total area of \u200b\u200bfire was, according to various estimates, from 50 to 100 square meters. m. Nevertheless, the extinguishing was carried out according to the third difficulty number (out of five possible) - about 22 fire brigades (112 firefighters) were pulled to the icebreaker. According to the firefighters, this was due both to the need for mass evacuation of workers and to the fact that ship fires are considered one of the most difficult: they are always difficult to extinguish because of strong smoke, the complex layout of the ship's rooms and the abundance of open holds.

At eleven o'clock in the afternoon, firefighters announced that the spread of the fire had been contained. However, the extinguishing continued until the evening - at 18:00 the premises were still being poured on the icebreaker.

The extinguishing participants believed that the cause of the fire was most likely negligence of workers or a short circuit. The version of arson was not even considered in the foreground: according to the participants in the extinguishing, the Baltic shipyard has a very strict access control and the entry of unauthorized persons onto the icebreaker is practically impossible.

The threat of radiation contamination was out of the question, since the installation mounted on the icebreaker had not yet been filled with nuclear fuel.

As stated by the press service of the Baltic Shipyard, the consequences of the fire will not affect the delivery time of the vessel to the customer. But it is much more likely that the icebreaker will not be built on time for financial reasons. Back in October 2004, such concerns were expressed by the head of the Federal Agency for Marine and River Transport at a meeting of the Maritime Council under the government of St. Petersburg. According to him, in 2005 the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of the Russian Federation agreed to finance only 10% of the cost of the work.

Based on the results of the meeting held on September 18, 2005 in Vladivostok on the socio-economic development of the Far East, the head of the Ministry of Transport announced that the nuclear icebreaker "50 Let Pobedy" would be completed by the end of 2006.

In the course of completing the construction of the icebreaker, specialists of the Baltic Shipyard carried out an operation to load nuclear fuel, thanks to which the nuclear-powered ships have an almost unlimited cruising range without refueling.

On October 28, 2006, the state commission signed an act on the readiness of the Baltic Shipyard for the physical launch of nuclear reactors of the icebreaker "50 Let Pobedy". Reactor installations were developed by FSUE OKBM.

In November 2006, the physical start-up of nuclear reactors and their output to the power level took place, after which complex mooring tests began.

In 2006 and in the first quarter of 2007 - financing of the work on the icebreaker was carried out at the expense of the circulating assets of JSC "Baltiyskiy Zavod" and loans from commercial banks.

On January 17, 2007, the Baltic Shipyard completed complex mooring tests on the nuclear-powered icebreaker 50 Let Pobedy.

On January 31, 2007, the St. Petersburg Baltiyskiy Zavod OJSC, part of the United Industrial Corporation, began state sea trials of the 50 Let Pobedy nuclear icebreaker.

From the water area of \u200b\u200bthe Neva, where maneuvering possibilities are limited for such large vessels, the vessel was withdrawn with the help of tugs. In the seaport of St. Petersburg, the icebreaker was loaded with supplies of fuel, fresh and feed water, after which it went to the Baltic Sea on its own.

On open water, the icebreaker was tested for speed and maneuverability. We also checked the operation of the navigation and communication systems, the desalination plant, steering, anti-icing and anchor devices and other equipment that could not be tested offshore.

The tests were carried out under the supervision of a state commission. It included representatives of the Federal Agency for Maritime and River Transport, Gostekhnadzor, the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping, the Federal Medical and Biological Agency, OJSC Murmansk Shipping Company, RRC Kurchatov Institute, FSUE OKBM, OJSC Central Design Bureau Aisberg and others organizations.

On February 17, 2007, the state sea trials were successfully completed. The icebreaker showed high maneuverability and reliability. The State Commission confirmed the strict compliance of the quality of the ship's systems and mechanisms with domestic standards and international norms.

On March 23, 2007, Baltiyskiy Zavod OJSC handed over to the customer the world's largest icebreaker, 50 Let Pobedy. After the official ceremony of signing the acceptance certificate, the state flag of the Russian Federation was raised on the ship in a solemn atmosphere.

With the signing of the acceptance certificate, the ship entered the Russian nuclear icebreaker fleet, at the same time becoming state property. Rosimushchestvo, in turn, by order of the government of the Russian Federation, transferred the new nuclear-powered ship to the trust management of OJSC Murmansk Shipping Company.

On April 2, 2007, the icebreaker "50 Let Pobedy" left the shipyard in St. Petersburg and entered the Baltic Sea, heading for its permanent home port - Murmansk.

On April 11, 2007, "50 Years of Victory" successfully completed the passage from St. Petersburg, entered the Kola Bay and embarked on a roadstead near its home port. The solemn meeting ceremony took place on the same day on the territory of FSUE Atomflot in Murmansk.

The meeting of the crew and the world's largest icebreaker brought together representatives of the executive and legislative authorities of Murmansk and the Murmansk region, Federal executive authorities, veterans and workers of the nuclear fleet of the Murmansk Shipping Company.

The captain of the icebreaker reported to the Director General of the Murmansk Shipping Company about the successful completion of the crossing and the readiness of the crew to carry out important state tasks on the Northern Sea Route and in the Russian Arctic.

The fact that the construction of the icebreaker "50 Let Pobedy" is nevertheless completed, and it arrived at the port of registration, indicates that the country has finally realized the role and significance of the Northern Sea Route and the Arctic for the implementation of its strategic interests, and is starting to restoration of infrastructure.

The first working voyage to the Northern Sea Route was planned for the end of April 2007.

It is expected that the pilotage of transport cargo ships along the Northern Sea Route is the first stage of operation of the nuclear-powered icebreaker "50 Let Pobedy". At the second stage, the work of the icebreaker will probably be related to the extraction of hydrocarbons on the Arctic shelf, the nuclear vessel will be engaged in servicing the production platforms and escorting transport vessels with hydrocarbons in the ice.

In addition, 50 Let Pobedy replaced the nuclear-powered icebreaker Arktika - the first built icebreaker of this class. The permitted service life of its nuclear power plant ended in 2008. The icebreaker "Arktika" has worked out 175 thousand hours - this is the maximum permitted service life, and in this regard, the entry into operation of the new nuclear-powered ship was very timely.

At the end of June 2007, the icebreaker "50 Let Pobedy" was in the Barents Sea in the area of \u200b\u200bCape Nadezhdy of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago, where it was supposed to take under escort two transport ships and lead them through the ice to the Yenisei Gulf. In fact, this was the first ice test of a newcomer to the Arctic routes. Its crew had to check the operation of the nuclear power plant, equipment and mechanisms in sailing conditions in difficult natural conditions. Only after passing this exam could the nuclear-powered ship go to work permanently in the Arctic waters.

On July 03, 2007, the nuclear-powered ship “50 Let Pobedy” successfully completed its first pilotage of ships bound for the port of Dudinka. Accompanied by the world's largest nuclear-powered icebreaker, the ships crossed the ice from Cape Zhelaniya on Novaya Zemlya to the Yenisei Gulf. The swimming took place as usual

On June 25, 2008, "50 Years of Victory" set off on its maiden voyage to the North Pole. There were about 100 tourists on board who wished to take part in a two-week excursion tour.

In March 2008, FSUE Atomflot became part of the State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom, based on the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation “On Measures to Establish the State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom” (No. 369 dated March 20, 2008).

On August 27, 2008, in Murmansk, an act was signed on the completion of measures to transfer the icebreaker "50 Let Pobedy" and other ships with a nuclear power plant, as well as nuclear technological service ships from the trust management of OJSC "Murmansk Shipping Company" to the economic management of FSUE "Atomflot" ". It was on this day that the agreement on the trust management of the nuclear icebreaker fleet expired, which was concluded by the government of the Russian Federation with the joint-stock company Murmansk Shipping Company and has been in effect since 1998. At this stage, it was deemed expedient to transfer federal property to the ownership of the State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom, which performs state functions for the development of the nuclear industry in the Russian Federation.

The icebreaker 50 Let Pobedy is a modernized project of the second series of nuclear-powered icebreakers of the Arktika type. The icebreaker is equipped with a new generation digital automatic control system and a modern complex of means for ensuring nuclear and radiation safety of a nuclear power plant. The nuclear powered vessel is equipped with the Anti-Terror protection system, equipped with an ecological compartment with the latest equipment for the collection and disposal of waste generated during the operation of the vessel.

The length of the vessel is 159 meters, width - 30 meters, total displacement - 25 thousand tons, speed - 18 nautical knots. The maximum ice thickness that the icebreaker breaks is 2.8 meters. It is equipped with two nuclear power plants. The ship's crew includes 138 people.

TACTICAL AND TECHNICAL DATA

A type: Nuclear icebreaker

State: Russia

Home port: Murmansk

Class: KM (*) LL1 A

IMO number: 9152959

Call sign: UGYU

Manufacturer: JSC "Baltic Plant"

Length: 159.6 m

Width: 30 m

Height: 17.2 m (board height)

Average draft: 11 m

Power point: 2 nuclear reactors

Screws: 3 fixed pitch propellers with 4 removable blades

Displacement: 25 thousand tons

Power: 75,000 l. from.

Maximum speed in clear water:21 sea knots

Speed \u200b\u200bin solid fast ice 2.7 meters thick:2 knots

Estimated maximum ice thickness: 2.8 m

Swimming autonomy:7.5 months (for provisions)

Crew: 138 people. Reduced to 106 after a series of cuts

Flag:RF

Mailing address: 183038, Murmansk 580, a / l "50 years of Victory"

Shipowner: FSUE "Atomflot" of the State Corporation "Rosatom"

This nuclear-powered ship is a modernized project of the second series of the icebreaker of the "Arktika" class, which includes 6 out of 10 built vessels. The thickness of the ice that the floating craft can overcome is 2.8 m. It has many differences from its predecessor, for example, here it was decided to use a spoon-shaped "nose", which showed itself remarkably in tests of the prototype of the Canadian icebreaker Canmar Kigoriyak. In addition, there is a modernized complex of biological protection means of a nuclear power plant, a digital automatic control system of the latest generation, there is a special ecological compartment, which is equipped with equipment designed for the collection and disposal of all waste products of the floating craft.

Meanwhile, "50 Years of Victory" is not always engaged in rescuing other ships from captivity. In fact, it is also geared towards Arctic cruises. So, you can personally go to the North Pole by paying a certain amount for a ticket. Since there are no passenger cabins as such, tourists are accommodated in the cabins of the ship. But on board there is its own restaurant, swimming pool, sauna, gym.

In the near future, the importance of such icebreakers will only increase. Indeed, in the future, more active development of natural resources is planned, which are under the bottom of the Arctic Ocean.

Navigation on certain sections of the Northern Sea Route lasts only two to four months. The rest of the time the water is covered with ice, the thickness of which sometimes reaches 3 meters. In order not to waste extra fuel and not to risk the crew and the ship once again, helicopters or reconnaissance aircraft are sent from the icebreakers to find an easier way through the ice holes.

Icebreakers are specially painted dark red so that they are clearly visible in the white ice.

The world's largest icebreaker can autonomously cruise in the Arctic Ocean for a year, breaking up ice up to 3 meters thick with its bow, shaped like a spoon.

Nuclear icebreakers are being built only in Russia. Only our country has such a long contact with the Arctic Ocean. The famous Northern Sea Route, 5600 km long, runs along the northern shores of our country. It starts at the Kara Gates and ends at Providence Bay. For example, if you move from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok by this sea route, the distance will be - 14,280 km. And if you choose the path through the Suez Canal, then the distance will be more than 23 thousand km.

Let's take a look at the insides of the Icebreaker.

Giant pre-construction

The largest icebreaker in the world today is 50 Years of Victory. It was built in Russia in 2007 at the Baltic Shipyard. The construction of the icebreaker was started in 1989, then, due to a lack of funding, it was stopped and resumed in the late nineties. The icebreaker is 159 m long, 30 m wide. The power plant consists of two reactors with a total capacity of 75,000 hp.

Such capacity could provide electricity to a modern metropolis with a population of 2,000,000 people. The displacement of the icebreaker is 25 thousand tons. The giant is capable of breaking ice up to 2.8 m thick at a speed of 18 nautical knots.

Champion Merits

"50 Let Pobedy" is the eighth icebreaker built at the Baltic Shipyard and is the result of a modernized project of nuclear-powered icebreakers of the "Arktika" type. During its development, the designers used the spoon-shaped bow shape for the first time used in the construction of the Canadian icebreaker "Canmar Kigoriyak", which proved its high efficiency during sea trials.

The ship is equipped with an automatic control system complex, which uses new generation digital sensors. Also, the system of radiation and nuclear safety of the power plant was modernized, which received re-certification in Gostekhnadzor. The nuclear powered ship is equipped with a modern anti-terror security system. The ecological compartment of the icebreaker is equipped with the latest equipment for the accumulation and disposal of waste generated during the life of the vessel.

Icebreaker equipment

The crew of the icebreaker is 138 people, it can take on board 128 passengers. The comfortable cabins are equipped with air conditioning, private bathrooms and toilets, safes, refrigerators, TVs, DVD players and telephones. Passenger cabins are divided into standard, junior suite, suite, Victoria suite and Arctic suite. The infrastructure also includes a restaurant and two bars, a music room, a pool with warm sea water, two saunas, a gym, a sports ground, a shop, a library, a lecture hall, a hospital and a laundry.

Cruises to the North Pole are becoming more and more popular, although they are, of course, expensive. Many are attracted by the opportunity to visit the northernmost geographical point of the Earth, to see marine life in natural conditions: seals, walruses, polar bears. Passenger access to the navigation bridge is not closed almost around the clock.

Triumphal procession

Recently "50 Let Pobedy" completed the next escort of sea tankers through the ice of the Gulf of Finland. More than 100 ships have used the services of the world's largest nuclear icebreaker in the planned escort.

June 16, 2016 Baltic Shipyard-Shipbuilding launched the lead nuclear-powered icebreaker "Arktika" of project 22220... In the presence of several thousand spectators, the godmother of the icebreaker, the chairman of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko, smashed a traditional bottle of champagne on the side of the icebreaker,

having sent from the slipway the largest and most powerful nuclear icebreaker in the world, the press service of the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) reports.

« Today is a solemn day for the Russian nuclear industry. The world's largest and most powerful nuclear icebreaker "Arktika" came off the building berth of the Baltic Shipyard. A harsh region - harsh technology. I am confident that the Arctic icebreaker will give a new impetus to the development of the Arctic latitudes. I am very glad that young shipbuilders come to the industry and continue all that has been accumulated by other generations of shipbuilders. Thanks to the shipbuilders of this creation. You look at it, and such pride overwhelms the country and the people who are building it. Thank you for keeping the St. Petersburg school of shipbuilding. Our country is proud of the result of such work! Seven feet under the keel to you, great "Arctic", - Valentina Matvienko wished.

Kirovsky Zavod shipped a turbine for the icebreaker "Arktika" to the Baltic Shipyard \u003e\u003e

The day of the launch of the nuclear icebreaker on the water symbolically coincided with the day of the start of the Economic Forum in St. Petersburg.

The General Director of Rosatom, the customer of the project 22220 nuclear icebreakers, Sergey Kiriyenko, noted in his welcoming speech: “ Today's event is a huge victory in every sense! A lot of work has been done, and today there are no analogues to such an icebreaker as "Arktika" in the world. Thanks to the staff of the Baltic Shipyard, everything has been done according to the schedule, and by the end of 2017, the Arctic will be operational. This icebreaker is the most modern in terms of its characteristics, it implements all the technical capabilities that have never been used on other ships before. Icebreaker "Arktika" is truly new opportunities for our country!»

After the command of the main builder of the lead nuclear-powered ship, Vadim Golovanov, to start launching, the detainee was cut, containing more than 14,000 tons of the ship's hull weight, the Arktika smoothly descended into the waters of the Neva River.

Ahead of the shipbuilders« Baltic Shipyard» completion of the lead nuclear-powered ship on water, the contract delivery date for the order is December 2017 *.

* The construction of the lead nuclear-powered icebreaker LK-60Ya "Arktika" required the intervention of Vladimir Putin - only he could decide to move the project from 2017 to 2019. Serial "Siberia" and "Ural" will be commissioned in 2021 and 2022. Failure to meet the deadline, one of the key reasons for which was the conflict between Russia and the Russian Federation, may turn into a scandal: the president has already instructed to make "personnel and organizational and managerial decisions", the Accounts Chamber, the General Prosecutor's Office and the FSB will begin inspections. The customer, Rosatom, and contractors, in particular, USC, can answer. But one should not expect loud layoffs, because the project was launched even when Rosatom was headed by the first deputy head of the presidential administration, Sergei Kiriyenko.

In May 2017, Vladimir Putin ordered to postpone the delivery date for the lead nuclear-powered icebreaker LK-60Ya "Arktika" from 2017 to 2019. In addition, the president demanded that personnel and organizational and managerial decisions be made in connection with the failure of the state contract. In parallel, the Accounts Chamber, the Prosecutor General's Office and the FSB must check the project.

The second largest nuclear icebreaker in the world came off the slipway of the Baltic Shipyard \u003e\u003e

FSUE Atomflot (owns nuclear icebreakers, controlled by Rosatom) and Baltiyskiy Zavod - Shipbuilding (BZS, part of USC) agreed on the construction of Arktika in 2012, the money for the icebreaker - 37 billion rubles - was allocated by the budget. In 2014, a contract was signed for another 2 icebreakers of the series - "Siberia" and "Ural" - for 84.4 billion rubles. Arktika was to be commissioned at the end of 2017, Siberia at the end of 2019, Ural at the end of 2020.

Turbines have become a key problem for Arktika. They were supposed to be supplied by the Ukrainian Kharkov Turbine Plant, but after 2014 the supplier had to be replaced by KEM (inaccuracy - in fact, KhTZ was not supposed to supply turbines; when in 2013 KEM won a tender for the production of turbine units, it was planned to be manufactured at the Kirov plant turbines should only be tested at KhTZ, where there is a special stand for this -). A source in the government says that there are no serious technical difficulties: the first turbine is being tested at the KEM stand, and the second is to be tested by October. In USC they complained about personnel problems, a large time gap in the implementation of such projects, loss of competencies, rework of the technical project and documentation.

In general, the icebreaker contractors shift the blame for the missed deadlines on each other. For example, the USC believes that the manufacturers of steam turbine units (KEM) and electric propulsion systems (FSUE "Krylov State Scientific Center" - Krylov State Research Center) have become the weak links of cooperation. The Kirovsky plant reported that during the execution of the contract for the Arctic, inspections are being carried out, which "do not reveal any violations of the law by the plant." The company added that the Krylovsky SSC delayed the supply of generators for more than two years. Mikhail Zagorodnikov, executive director of the Krylov State Research Center, believes that the delay is due to the USC's fault: the competition was held for five months, and although the technical design was ready in 2009, detailed design began only in 2013.

BZS also overdue the delivery dates for the diesel icebreaker LK-25 "Viktor Chernomyrdin" and the floating nuclear power plant "Akademik Lomonosov".

Now the atomic icebreakers "Taimyr" and "Vaigach" are in operation, the service life of their nuclear installations is extended, which cannot happen indefinitely, when the icebreaker "Yamal" leaves, only the icebreaker "50 Let Pobedy" will remain from the "Arctic" class. If by 2022 there are only four icebreakers, this is not enough, since a sharp increase in cargo traffic from oil and gas fields, from Vostokugol and Norilsk Nickel is predicted, there are attempts to increase transit along the Northern Sea Route. By 2022, at least two new two-draft icebreakers are to be built.

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The lead nuclear-powered icebreaker of project 22220 is being built to the class of the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping on« Baltic Shipbuilding Plant» commissioned by ROSATOM (the ship was laid down on November 5, 2013) and will become the largest and most powerful nuclear icebreaker in the world.

The main characteristics of the project 22220 nuclear icebreaker:

power ..... 60 MW (on shafts);

travel speed ..... 22 knots (in clear water);

length ..... 173.3 m (160 m at design waterline);

width ..... 34 m (33 m at design waterline);

height ..... 15.2 m;

draft ..... 10.5 m / 8.65 m;

maximum ice breaking capacity ..... 2.8 m;

full displacement ..... 33 540 t;

assigned service life ..... 40 years.

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