The Rosatomflot-operated nuclear icebreaker Arktika has
departed St. Petersburg, bound for Murmansk on her maiden voyage. This final
milestone in the long saga of her construction marks a new record, as she is
now the world's largest and most powerful operational icebreaker. With twin
reactors generating a combined 350 megawatts (470,000 horsepower), she may well
be the world's most powerful civilian vessel
The two-week trip will give her operator a chance to test
her out in open seas and in ice, according to Atomflot General Director Mustafa
Kashka. "During the voyage, the Arktika will go into the ice, passing
north of Franz Josef Land (83 degrees North latitude)," he said.
Arktika and her four future sister ships were ordered by
Rosatom for deployment along Russia's icy Northern Sea Route. Russia wishes to
promote it as an alternative to the Suez Canal, but for most of the year it is
only usable with a costly icebreaker escort. To solve this challenge, Russia
aims to build a heavy icebreaking fleet of 13 vessels. (By comparison, the
United States operates one heavy icebreaker, with as many as three more
planned.)
“The creation of a modern nuclear icebreaker fleet capable
of ensuring regular year-round and safe navigation through the entire Northern
Sea Route is a strategic task for our country,” said Vyacheslav Ruksha, the
head of the Rosatom Northern Sea Route Directorate, which manages the waterway.
The $580 million Arktika was initially scheduled for
delivery in 2017, but the program has suffered a series of delays. Sea trials
began in late 2019 for delivery in May 2020, but she sustained a propulsion
motor failure during trials and had to undergo repairs.