On June 16, 2016, a nuclear-powered icebreaker 'Arktika' was floated out at the Baltic Shipyard in St. Petersburg.
The construction of the vessel was started three years ago. It is considered the world's biggest and most powerful icebreaker. The Arktika is 173.3 meters long and 34 meters wide. The vessel has the displacement of 33.5 tons and counts 75 members of the crew. Its double nuclear reactor delivers 60 MWe of power. The ship is due to go into service in December 2017.
An icebreaker is a special purpose ship designed to move and navigate through ice-covered marine environments in the Far North. A nuclear-powered icebreaker can smash its way through ice up to 3 meters thick. The new generation of icebreakers will be able to escort boats carrying oil and gas from the oil fields of the Yamal Peninsula or the Kara Sea shelf to the markets of the Asia-Pacific region.
Owing to the dual draft, the icebreaker will be able to guide ships both in icy waters and in river mouths. The ship was designed by Central Design Bureau Iceberg in 2009.
Pictured: the launching ceremony of the Arktika
The ceremony was attended by Aleksey Kadilov, Director General of Baltiysky Zavod-Sudostroyeniye, and Valentina Matvienko, Chairperson of the Federation Council of Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation.
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