The most powerful nuclear-powered icebreaker went on sea trials

The lead universal nuclear-powered icebreaker “Arktika” of project 22220 being built by the order of the state corporation “Rosatom” went on sea trials in Saint Petersburg on the 12th of December. The ship departed from the berth of the Baltic Shipyard in the direction of the Gulf of Finland.

“The universal nuclear-powered icebreakers of project 22220 are equipped with the most modern electric propulsion systems”, said Mustafa Kashka, the director general of Atomflot. “The main task of the sea trials will be the following: to verify correctness of the adopted algorithms of operation of the electric propulsion system, as well as maneuverability characteristics of the icebreaker from standby diesel generators”.

A ballast system, navigation equipment, a life support system, an anchor device will be checked on the ship during the sea trials, as well as the descent of a boat will be worked out. It is expected that the icebreaker will return to the berth on the 14th of December, as the department of communications and protocol of Rosatomflot informs. The final stage of the sea trials is scheduled for March-April of 2020.

The lead universal nuclear-powered icebreaker of project 22220 is being built at the Baltic Shipyard. The ship was laid down on the 5th of November, 2013 and was launched to water on the 16th of June, 2016. “Arktika” will be the largest and the most powerful nuclear-powered icebreaker in the world. It is designed for independent icebreaking support of ships, including large-tonnage ones, for leading of caravans on the western area of the Arctic. The ship’s dual-draught design allows using it both in arctic waters and in mouths of polar rivers. The nuclear-powered ship is named after the legendary icebreaker “Arktika”, which became the first vessel in history to reach the North Pole in surface run.