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Arktika nuclear-powered icebreaker reaches North Pole

Project 22220 nuclear icebreakers can lead caravans of ships in three-meter Arctic ice

© Lev Fedoseyev/TASS

MOSCOW, October 3. /TASS/. The first nuclear-powered icebreaker Arktika of project 22220 has reached the North Pole during her trials, the Baltic Shipyard said on Saturday.

"At 18.00 on October 3, the future flagship of the national nuclear-powered fleet, the Arktika nuclear-powered ship of project 22220 reached the North Pole. During the two-week voyage from St. Petersburg to the city of Murmansk specialists of the builder’s team of the Baltic Shipyard (incorporated into the United Shipbuilding Corporation) and the customer’s representatives are inspecting the nuclear-powered icebreaker’s operation in ice conditions," the statement says.

During her trials, the nuclear ship has hit the ultimate goal by reaching the North Pole. In the near future, the Arktika will sail to Murmansk, where an acceptance report is expected to be signed.

A large-scale program to renovate Russia’s nuclear-powered icebreakers is part of the Northern Sea Route federal project of the integrated plan of modernization and expansion of trunk infrastructure.

Project 22220 nuclear icebreakers can lead caravans of ships in three-meter Arctic ice. The dual-draft design allows the icebreaker to operate in ice and in Polar river deltas. The lead Arktika icebreaker of project 22220 was laid in November 2013 by the Baltic shipyard. The first serial Sibir icebreaker was laid in May 2015 and the second serial Ural in July 2016. The displacement is 33450 tons, the length is 173.3 meters. The two-reactor nuclear power plant RITM-200 has a 175 MW capacity. The speed is 22 knots. Maximum ice thickness in uninterrupted motion is 2.8 meters. The crew comprises 75 men.

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