Baltiysky Zavod completed testing reactor containment shell of Arktika icebreaker (photo)
Baltiysky Zavod (Saint-Petersburg based company of United Shipbuilding Corporation) says it has completed testing reactor containment shell at the Arktika icebreaker (LK-60, Project 22220) being built by the shipyard.
Preparations for the tests began in late 2017. The tests involved specialists of Baltiysky Zavod shipyard and Krylov State Research Center.
According to the statement, the tests results confirmed the strength calculations and readiness of the containment shell to function in all operation modes.
Under the contract with FSUE Rosatomflot, Baltiysky Zavod shipyard is building three LK-60 60MW icebreakers of Project 22220 (Arktika, Sibir, Ural). The icebreaker engineering design was developed by CDB ICEBERG in 2009.
The 22220-series flagship the Arktika was laid down at the St. Petersburg shipyard's slipway “A” on 5 November 2013 and launched on June 16 2016. The Sibir was laid down on May 26, 2015 and the Ural – on July 25, 2016.
The serial icebreakers will be built to RS class and will be commissioned into service by the State Corporation Rosatom.
General characteristics of the vessels: capacity - 60 MW, operational speed - 22 knots (clean water), length - 173.3 m (160 m, DWL), beam - 34 m (33 m, DWL), depth - 15.2 m; draft (DWL) - 10.5 m; minimum draft - 8.55 m, maximum icebreaking capability - 2.8-meter-thick ice (at full capacity and speed of 1.5-2 knots); full displacement – 33,540 tonnes; designated service life - 40 years, crew - 75.
The icebreaker will be powered by two RITM-200 reactors of 175 MW. The system of the new generation was developed specially for this ship.The vessels dual-draft concept and capability will allow operating them both in the Arctic and in the mouths of the polar rivers.
Icebreakers will be operated in the western region of the Arctic: in the Barents, Pechora and Kara Seas, as well as in shallower areas of the Yenisei estuary and the Ob Bay area.
Baltiysky Zavod OJSC (Saint-Petersburg) specializes in construction of rank 1 surface-crafts, ice class vessels with nuclear and diesel-electric propulsion plants, nuclear floating energy units, floating distilling plants.
The shipyard was set up in 1856. In its history Baltiysky Zavod which had built over 600 ships and vessels and was privatized several times and returned to state control when financial problems arose.
United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC OJSC) is the largest shipbuilding company in Russia. It was set up in 2007 with 100% federal ownership. The holding comprises 40 companies and organizations (major shipbuilding and shiprepairing companies as well as leading design bureaus). Currently, USC consolidates the bulk of the domestic shipbuilding complex. The Russian market is the main focus of the state corporation though it also exports its products to 20 countries worldwide.
