Operators Rosmorport Building 3 | Built 2016– | |
Builders Saint Petersburg Baltic plant Preceded by Arktika-class icebreaker (Project 10520) Succeeded by LK-110Ya-class nuclear icebreaker | ||
The LK-60YA class (Russian: ЛК-60Я) is a Russian class of nuclear-powered icebreakers; they are the largest and most powerful icebreakers ever constructed. Formerly known as Project 22220 icebreaker, it is a class of three nuclear-powered icebreakers, one launched, two in construction at Baltic Shipyard in Russia.
Contents
History
The first ship, Arktika (Арктика - Arctic), was laid down in November 2013 and is expected to enter service in the 2018. Launched on 16 June 2016, the ship will be the world's biggest and the most powerful icebreaker surpassing the current leader, which is the Russian icebreaker 50 Let Pobedy.
The 2nd ship of this class, the Sibir - (Сибирь - Siberia), was laid down on 26 May 2015 at Baltic Shipyard. On 1 July 2016, the hull of the Sibir, one third of the ship and weighing 3,500 t, was shifted 125 meters to the place of the launched Arktika icebreaker, where construction will be completed. The shift made place for the start of the construction of the hull of the icebreaker Ural - (Урал - Ural). Construction of the Ural started on 25 July 2016.
Design and construction
LK-60YA class ships have an overall length of 173 metres (568 ft) and breadth of 34 metres (112 ft). The design draught is 10.5 metres (34 ft) and a minimal operating draught is 8.55 metres (28.1 ft). The dual-draft design will enable ships to operate in both arctic waters and mouths of polar rivers. LK-60YA ships have a displacement of 33,540 t, or 25,450 t without ballast.
LK-60YA ships will be equipped with two RITM-200 nuclear reactors, with a thermal capacity of 175 MW each. The propulsion power of this class of ships will be 60MW which is why this class is sometimes referred as LK-60. LK-60YA has been classified by the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RMRS) as the ice class, Icebreaker9. The maximum icebreaking capability of LK-60YA class vessels is 2.8 m. The vessels are intended for the Northern Sea Route along the Russian Arctic coast.
Next Generation
In May 2015 it was also reported that Russia had made a principal decision on the development of the conceptual design for a new nuclear-powered icebreaker. According to Sergey Kirienko, Director General of State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom, the new icebreaker could move across the Arctic ice of any thickness up to 4.5 metres (15 ft). The new icebreaker will reportedly have the propulsion power of 110MW. If built this new icebreaker would be almost twice as powerful as the LK-60YA class icebreakers. The LK-110Ya-class nuclear icebreaker (ЛК-110Я) will be capable of ensuring year-round navigability of the Northern Sea Route. The design is expected to be finalized by 2016. The vessel with a 50 metres (160 ft) beam will match large tankers.