Rosatom controls Russia’s five nuclear ice breakers but will add at least three more powerful newbuildings to its fleet by 2030.

The newest ice breaker, the 60MW Arktika (built 2020), was delivered late last year, after a protracted construction period, and escorted its first vessel in the Northern Sea Route in November.

But Rosatom director of the NSR Directorate Vyacheslav Ruksha said: “We expect that Russia’s Arctic fleet will have at least eight nuclear-powered ice breakers by 2030.”

Ruksha knows his ice breakers. He came to his current job direct from Rosatom’s ice breaker-owning arm FSUE Atomflot, where he was director general.

The five-strong ice-breaker fleet is based in Murmansk and Rosatom also owns the 33,980-dwt nuclear-powered containership Sevmorput (built 1988).

The nuclear ice breaker Arktika is the flagship vessel in Russia's Project 22220 and ranks as the most powerful vessel of its kind. Photo: Rosatom

In demand

Ruksha said the ice breakers are primarily used to accompany vessels — largely gas carriers in the Kara Sea — through the NSR.

They are mainly in demand from November to June, when ice conditions are most difficult. From July to September, ships can navigate without ice-breaker accompaniment in the western and partially in the eastern parts of the NSR if they have the appropriate ice class.

In 2020, nuclear ice breakers accompanied 497 ships carrying a total of 34,885,906 tonnes of cargo, he said.

The Arktika is the lead nuclear ice breaker in Project 22220 and is kitted out with two RITM-200 reactors — Rosatom’s flagship technology.

Rosatom dubs the Arktika as “the most powerful ice breaker in the world”.

Ruksha said the vessel’s beam enables it single-handedly to accompany Arctic tankers with a displacement of more than 100,000 tonnes and break through ice almost 3 metres thick.

Two more Project 22220 ice breakers, the Sibir and Ural — have been launched and are due to be delivered in the next two years.

The keels have also been laid for another two sisterships, the Yakutia and Chukotka.

But the second series of even more powerful ice-breaker newbuildings, the Project 10510 or Leader-class vessels, are also underway.

Ruksha said the first of these, the Rossiya, is already under construction.

Each of these vessels will be equipped with two RITM-400 reactors and will be able to break through ice up to 4.3 metres thick.

Rosatom ice-breaker fleet, including newbuildings
Vessel name Power Build or planned delivery date
Taymyr 31MW 1989
Yamal 55MW 1992
50 Let Pobedy 50MW 2007
Artika 60MW 2020
Sibir 60MW 2021
Ural 60MW 2022
Yakutia 60MW tbc
Chukotka 60MW tbc
Rossiya 120MW 2027