“Arktika” arrived in Murmansk
The new nuclear-powered icebreaker “Arktika” reached the home port of Murmansk on October 12 2020 and docked at FSUE Atomflot’s mooring No. 1. In 21 days, the “Arktika” covered about 4800 nautical miles and reached the North Pole during the ice tests on October 3. The “Arktika” is currently the strongest icebreaker and has an estimated lifespan of 40 years.
At the mooring, the new flagship of the Russian nuclear icebreaker fleet was received by the Deputy Director of Rosatom and Head of the North Sea Route Directorate, Vyacheslav Ruksha, the Governor of the Murmansk Region, Andrey Chibis, the Director General of FSUE Atomflot, Mustafa Kashka, and the companies involved. The guests took a tour of the ship, met with the crew and congratulated the sailors on their successful arrival at their home port.
“During the crossing, we drove to the geographic North Pole to collect the maximum amount of information about the operation of a nuclear icebreaker under ice conditions,” said Konstantin Knyazevsky, Deputy Director General for Fleet Construction. In ice fields of varying thicknesses, the crew of the “Arktika” tested the operation of the propeller-rowing complex and the ship’s electric propulsion system. “The results obtained confirm the design characteristics of the vessel. At an output of 50%, the nuclear icebreaker overcame all ice fields found in the polar region. This was achieved thanks to the unique contours of the hull,” the Atomflot press department reported.
The ceremonial christening and handover of the nuclear icebreaker to FSUE Atomflot is scheduled for October 21, 2020.
The icebreaker, designed by CDB Iceberg in 2009, is used in the western region of the Arctic, the Barents Sea, the Kara Sea, as well as in shallower areas of the Yenisei Estuary and Ob Bay.
Heiner Kubny, PolarJournal
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