#ARCTIC. #SIBERIA. THIS IS TAIMYR. Let us remind you that Nornickel, Rosatom and the Far Eastern Center for Shipbuilding and Ship Repair have signed an agreement on joint design and construction of an icebreaker.
As Sergey Dubovitsky noted, the essence of the agreement is to jointly develop a domestic version of a dual-fuel diesel-LNG icebreaker that can replace ships of the Taimyr/Vaigach type, a 35 megawatt nuclear icebreaker that has been operating since 1989. It is actively used in the Yenisey gulf and the western part of the water area of the Northern Sea Route.
Taking into account all major overhauls, 2027–2029 is the date for the Taimyr icebreaker to be decommissioned. Nornickel expects that by this time it will be possible to develop and implement a specialized domestic project that will take into account all the company’s needs of the. The parameters of the vessel are to be developed.
“The first stage of our joint work is the formation of technical specifications for this icebreaker. The key parameters that we need: it should be a shallow-draft icebreaker, the maximum permissible draft for work in the Yenisey gulf is 9.5 meters. The minimum sufficient power is 35 megawatts. In terms of dimensions and width, it remains to be determined. Probably, it will be more versatile, that is, more powerful and, possibly, wider than an icebreaker of the Taimyr type”, Sergey Dubovitsky explained.
The cost of building an LNG icebreaker will depend on the characteristics. It is estimated that the design will take up to two years. A few more – for construction. There is no exact timetable yet. So far, there are plans to build one vessel. But, perhaps, on the basis of this project, a whole series of such icebreakers will be created.
“According to the results of the last winter navigation, the ice situation was difficult, there were not enough icebreakers, and their life is coming to an end. This is a common problem – the demand for icebreakers is growing not only in our country, but also in other companies in the Arctic. New icebreakers are needed. For example, we are planning an investment program for more than two trillion rubles, so we are definitely ready to participate”, noted Sergey Dubovitsky.
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Text: Angelica Stepanova, Photo: iceberg.org.ru
