“In May last year we laid the keel of Siberia, the first icebreaker in the series. Today we have laid the keel of the second ship. We strictly follow the schedule, and I wish the Baltic Shipyard to maintain the momentum,” Rosatom CEO Sergei Kirienko said at the keel laying ceremony. He added that the icebreaker series meant regular contracts for the companies involved, “Those who finished working on the flagship icebreaker have new tasks – serial nuclear-powered ships.”
Serial icebreakers have no difference from the Arktika flagship, but the construction process runs smoother and faster. Alexei Britanov, Chief Constructor of Ural Icebreaker, explains, “This is a usual thing. As a rule, flagships are more difficult to construct because new approaches are not tested yet. There are many project collisions related to piping or cabling systems. With the second and third icebreakers, we will work much faster.”
In July, Rosatom’s subsidiary Elemash manufactured fuel rods and burnable absorbers for the RITM-200 propulsion unit to be installed in Project 22220 icebreakers. The innovative fabrication technology was developed by Bochvar Russian Research Institute of Inorganic Materials (VNIINM). A startup neutron source, fuel assembly design and materials were also developed by the institute.
“The nuclear icebreaker fleet is a key to all the large national oil and gas projects. The keel-laying for Ural is a milestone in the development of the Arctic’s future infrastructure,” says AtomFlot (Nuclear Fleet) CEO Vyacheslav Ruksha. “Nuclear icebreakers we build have excellent prospects. They will serve Russia, and I am sure that the 22220 series is just the beginning,” Sergei Kirienko concluded.
Rosatom will move beyond the current icebreaker series. The plans are to begin designing Lider (Leader), an icebreaker of another generation.
In July, Rosatom’s subsidiary Elemash manufactured fuel rods and burnable absorbers for the RITM-200 propulsion unit to be installed in Project 22220 icebreakers. The innovative fabrication technology was developed by Bochvar Russian Research Institute of Inorganic Materials (VNIINM). A startup neutron source, fuel assembly design and materials were also developed by the institute. “We have created unparalleled fuel, which is reliable and gives two times better performance than fuel for the previous generation icebreakers,” said Alexander Vatulin, VNIINM Chief Expert.
The new fuel rods demonstrate excellent dimensional stability, which is critical for fuel with increased burn-up. Cross-section changes are excluded, and fuel assemblies therefore maintain stable hydraulic properties throughout their lifespan.
