Nuclear - court, built specifically for use in waters covered with ice all year round. They break the ice with a specially adapted bow, and in some cases - with a stern.
Nuclear icebreakers much more powerful than diesel. They were designed in Russia to provide navigation in the cold waters of the Arctic. One of the main advantages of nuclear power is the absence of the need for frequent refueling, which can arise when sailing in ice, when this is not possible, or such refueling is very difficult. All nuclear have an electrical transmission to the propellers. In winter, the ice thickness in the Arctic Ocean varies from 1.2 to 2 m, and in some places reaches 2.5 m. Nuclear icebreakers capable of passing in waters covered with such ice at a speed of 20 km / h (11 knots), and in ice-free waters - up to 45 km / h (up to 25 knots).
Since 1989 nuclear power plants have been used for tourist trips to the North Pole. , which lasts three weeks, costs $25,000. For the first time atomic Russia"was used for this purpose in 1989. Since 1991, nuclear power has been used for this. Soviet Union"and since 1993 - nuclear" Yamal". It has a special section for tourists. Built in 2007 50 years of Victory» also has the same section.
cruise trips to Greenland are carried out on such an icebreaker
All ten existing nuclear power plants in the world (although one of them is actually not an icebreaker, but with an icebreaker prow) were built in the USSR. These ships were built at the Admiralty Shipyards and the Baltic Shipyard in St. Petersburg. Two icebreakers - river " Vaygach" And " Taimyr"- were built at the new Helsinki shipyards in Finland and then transported to Leningrad for the installation of nuclear reactors.
icebreaker "50 Years of Victory"
Today the world's largest icebreaker is " 50 years of Victory» built at the Baltic Shipyard. The vessel is equipped with a new generation digital automatic control system. The complex of means is modernized biological protection nuclear power plant. An ecological compartment has been created, equipped with the latest equipment for the collection and disposal of all waste products ship. Vessel belongs Russian Federation FSUE " Atomflot».
Technical data of the icebreaker« 50 years of Victory»:
Length - 160 m;
Width - 30 m;
Draft - 11 m;
Displacement - 25,000 tons;
Power plant - 2 nuclear reactors with a capacity of 75,000 hp;
Cruising speed - 21.4 knots;
The maximum fuel supply is about 4 years;
Crew - 140 people;
Passengers - 128 people;
icebreakers of the Arktika class
Icebreakers class " Arctic"- the basis of the Russian nuclear icebreaker fleet: 6 out of 10 nuclear icebreakers belong to the Arktika class. Since these icebreakers have been built for thirty years, there are some differences between them. As a rule, new icebreakers are faster, more powerful and require smaller crews to operate.
Technical data of the Arktika-class icebreaker:
Length - 150 m;
Width - 30 m;
Draft - 11.08 m;
Height - 55;
Maximum speed: 25 knots;
Crew - 150 people (including 50 officers and engineers);
Passengers: 100 people;
Ship power plant: two reactors - 900 with a capacity of 171 MW;
Icebreakers of this class have a double hull; the thickness of the outer hull in places of ice breaking is 48 mm, in other places - 25 mm. Between the hulls are water ballast tanks, which serve to change the trim in difficult ice conditions. Some court coated with a special polymer to reduce friction. Icebreakers of this class can break ice, moving both forward and backward. These are designed to operate in cold Arctic waters, which makes it difficult to operate a nuclear plant in warm seas. This is partly why crossing the tropics to work off the coast of Antarctica is not among their tasks. Typically, to ensure ship only one of the ship's two reactors is enough energy, but both are used during the voyage (at less than 50% power).
As a rule, on the class Arctic" there are all necessary amenities for the crew and passengers: swimming pool, sauna, cinema, gym, bar, restaurant, library and volleyball court. For everyone nuclear-powered ships class " Arctic» there is a helipad, for two helicopters that can be attached to them, for difficult flights or tourist cruises.
A nuclear-powered icebreaker is a nuclear-powered vessel built specifically for use in ice-covered waters throughout the year. Thanks to the nuclear installation, they are much more powerful than diesel ones and it is easier for them to conquer frozen bodies of water. Unlike other ships, icebreakers have a clear advantage - they do not need to refuel, which is especially important in ice, where there is no way to get fuel.
It is also unusual that of the 10 nuclear icebreakers existing in the world, all were built and then launched on the territory of the USSR and Russia. Their indispensability was shown by an operation that took place in 1983. About 50 vessels, including several diesel-powered icebreakers, were trapped in the ice in the eastern Arctic. And only with the help of the nuclear-powered ship "Arktika" they were able to free themselves from captivity, delivering the cargo to nearby villages.
The largest icebreaker in the world is the 50 Years of Victory. It was laid down at the Baltic Shipyard in Leningrad in 1989, and four years later it was launched. True, the construction was not completed, but was frozen due to financial troubles. It was only in 2003 that it was decided to resume it, and in February 2007, "50 Years of Victory" began to be tested in the Gulf of Finland, which lasted a couple of weeks. Then he independently went to the port of registry - the city of Murmansk.
Let's take a closer look at the history of the icebreaker:
"50 Years of Victory" - the eighth in a row nuclear icebreaker, built at the Baltic Shipyard and today - the largest in the world. The icebreaker is a modernized project of the second series of nuclear-powered icebreakers of the Arktika type. "50 Years of Victory" is a largely experimental project. The vessel uses a spoon-shaped bow, which was first used in the development of the Canadian experimental icebreaker Kenmar Kigoriyak in 1979 and convincingly proved its effectiveness during trial operation. The icebreaker is equipped with a new generation digital automatic control system. The complex of means of biological protection of the nuclear power plant has been modernized and re-examined in accordance with the requirements of Gostekhnadzor. An environmental compartment has also been created, equipped with the latest equipment for the collection and disposal of all waste products of the vessel.
During the period from 1974 to 1989, a series of second-generation nuclear-powered icebreakers (project 10520 and a modernized project 10521) were built in the Soviet Union. The lead ship of this series, the Project 10520 nuclear icebreaker Arktika, was laid down on July 3, 1971, launched on December 26, 1972, and commissioned on April 25, 1975.
October 4, 1989 in Leningrad, on the slipway of the Baltic Shipyard named after Sergo Ordzhonikidze, an icebreaker of project 10521 was laid down, under the original name "Ural".
And although in the USSR nuclear-powered ships were completely handed over in three to four years, it took the Ural four years only to launch them, due to the then situation in the country's leadership and in the country as a whole.
It was expected that the ship would enter service in the mid-1990s, but due to lack of funding, the construction of the icebreaker was suspended and the huge vessel remained at the pier, only 72% ready.
The Baltic Shipyard was forced to mothball the icebreaker at its own expense in order to preserve the possibility of its completion in the future.
Even the renaming of the icebreaker did not help to resume funding.
On August 4, 1995, on the eve of the visit of the then President of Russia to St. Petersburg and to the enterprise, too, the nuclear-powered ship was renamed "50 Years of Victory".
For many years of useless downtime at the berth of the Baltic Shipyard, several times it was proposed to cut and dispose of the ship, but it literally miraculously avoided this.
A part of its units had its own warranty resource, although the ship did not make a single flight.
In the late 1990s, when partial financing of construction began, work on the icebreaker 50 Let Pobedy was resumed.
On October 31, 2002, government decree No. 1528-r was issued, according to which the completion of the icebreaker "50 Let Pobedy" was planned to be completed in 2003-2005. 2.5 billion rubles were allocated from the state budget to complete the work.
Until 2003, the construction of the icebreaker was financed on a general basis within the framework of the federal targeted investment program, and since 2003 - in accordance with the order of the Government of the Russian Federation dated October 31, 2002 No. 1528-r.
In February 2003, the construction of the icebreaker entered the active phase, after:
- Baltiysky Zavod entered the structure of the shipbuilding assets of the United Industrial Corporation (OPK);
- a contract was signed between Baltiysky Zavod OJSC and the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Directorate of the State Customer of Maritime Transport Development Programs" for the completion of the vessel;
- public funds were allocated.
According to the contract, the financing of the completion of the construction of the nuclear-powered ship in 2003-2005 was to be carried out at the expense of the federal budget. The quality of construction work on the icebreaker was to be controlled by representatives of the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping and the Murmansk Shipping Company.
On August 13, 2004, at a meeting in the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation, it was decided to increase funding for the construction of the icebreaker in the amount of 742.3 million rubles, of which 164 million were planned to be included in the 2005 budget and 578.3 million rubles in the 2006 budget. The need for additional funding was caused by new requirements for ensuring nuclear safety in accordance with the requirements of Gosatomnadzor and the performance of work related to long term ship construction. In particular, funds were needed for the design and manufacture of the latest multi-channel reactor safety systems, as well as for re-examination and revision of equipment and mechanisms.
On September 7, 2004, the icebreaker "50 Years of Victory" was towed to the dock of the Kronstadt Marine Plant. After that, the specialists of the Baltic Shipyard for the first time in the history of domestic shipbuilding carried out docking work on an icebreaker under construction. Previously, docking of nuclear-powered ships was carried out only after several years of work and only at shipbuilding enterprises located in Murmansk region.
Taking into account the fact that underwater systems and devices were installed on the icebreaker in the early 1990s, during the completion of the vessel, it was necessary to check their performance. The most time-consuming operation was the revision of the stern gear, which is the support of the propeller shaft and is designed to prevent the penetration of outboard water into the icebreaker's hull. For its examination, experts dismantled the propeller and propeller shaft. The work at the dock lasted 2 months. For the successful implementation of these works, the plant independently designed and manufactured special equipment. The correct operation of the stern gear was a necessary condition for the start of mooring tests on the icebreaker.
The ship also examined: the right propeller shaft line, bottom-side fittings, systems of pipelines and protectors of bottom fittings, electrical navigation devices, anode units and cathodic protection comparison electrodes. In addition, the specialists of the enterprise carried out washing of the outer skin of the underwater part of the icebreaker, bottom boxes and nozzles of the bottom-on-board fittings in the dock. Dock work was supervised by representatives of the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping and the Murmansk Shipping Company.
At the end of October 2004, after completion of the dock work, the icebreaker was returned to the Baltic Shipyard.
The ship's hull, superstructure and aft mast were fully formed, installation of the main mechanical and electrical equipment was completed.
On November 31, 2004, a fire broke out on board the icebreaker "50 Years of Victory" moored at the quay wall of the Baltic Shipyard. It started at 08:45 on one of the upper decks where the welders worked. The flames quickly spread across the deck, littered with building materials. A huge smoke screen formed over the icebreaker.
The firefighters who arrived on alarm, first of all, began to evacuate the workers, some of whom managed to swallow carbon monoxide. A total of 52 people were rescued from the burning vessel by firefighters. Only after finishing with the evacuation, they began to search for sources of ignition. According to preliminary data, he was on the third and fourth decks, where the builders stored combustible building materials. total area ignition amounted, according to various estimates, from 50 to 100 square meters. m. Nevertheless, the extinguishing was carried out according to the third number of complexity (out of five possible) - about 22 fire brigades (112 firefighters) were pulled to the icebreaker. According to firefighters, this was due both to the need for mass evacuation of workers and the fact that ship fires are considered one of the most difficult: strong smoke, complex layout of ship spaces and an abundance of open holds always make it difficult to extinguish them.
At eleven o'clock in the afternoon, firefighters announced that the spread of fire was localized. However, the extinguishing continued until the evening - at 18:00, the icebreaker was still spilling the premises.
The firefighters believed that the cause of the fire was likely the negligence of workers or a short circuit. The version of arson was not even considered in the foreground: according to the participants in the firefighting, the Baltic Shipyard has a very strict access control and it is practically impossible for outsiders to enter the icebreaker.
The threat of radiation contamination was out of the question, since the installation mounted on the icebreaker had not yet been refueled with nuclear fuel.
According to the press service of the Baltic Shipyard, the consequences of the fire will not affect the timing of the delivery of the ship to the customer. But it is much more likely that the icebreaker will not be built on time for financial reasons. Back in October 2004, at a meeting of the Maritime Council under the government of St. Petersburg, such fears were expressed by the head of the Federal Agency for Maritime and river transport. According to him, in 2005 the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of the Russian Federation agreed to finance only 10% of the cost of the work.
As a result of the meeting held on September 18, 2005 in Vladivostok on the socio-economic development of the Far East, the head of the Ministry of Transport announced that the 50 Let Pobedy nuclear icebreaker would be completed by the end of 2006.
During the completion of the icebreaker, specialists from the Baltic Shipyard carried out an operation to load nuclear fuel, thanks to which nuclear-powered ships have an almost unlimited cruising range without refueling.
On October 28, 2006, the State Commission signed an act on the readiness of the Baltic Shipyard for the physical launch of the nuclear reactors of the icebreaker "50 Let Pobedy". Reactor installations were developed by FSUE OKBM.
In November 2006, the physical start-up of nuclear reactors took place and they were brought to the energy level of power, after which integrated mooring tests were started.
In 2006 and in the first quarter of 2007, work on the icebreaker was financed at the expense of working capital of OAO Baltiysky Zavod and loans from commercial banks.
On January 17, 2007, the Baltic Shipyard completed comprehensive mooring trials on the nuclear-powered icebreaker 50 Let Pobedy.
8
January 31, 2007, the St. Petersburg JSC "Baltic Plant", part of the "United Industrial Corporation", began state sea trials of the nuclear icebreaker "50 Years of Pobedy".
From the water area of the Neva, where maneuvering possibilities are limited for such large ships, the ship was taken out with the help of tugboats. IN seaport Petersburg, the icebreaker was loaded with fuel, fresh and feed water, after which it entered the Baltic Sea for the first time on its own.
In open water, the icebreaker was tested for speed and maneuverability. They also checked the serviceability of the navigation and communication systems, the desalination plant, steering, anti-icing and anchoring devices and other equipment that could not be tested offshore.
The tests were carried out under the supervision of the state commission. It included representatives of the Federal Agency for Marine and River Transport, Gostekhnadzor, the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping, the Federal Medical and Biological Agency, OJSC Murmansk Shipping Company, RRC Kurchatov Institute, Federal State Unitary Enterprise OKBM, OJSC Central Design Bureau Iceberg and others. organizations.
On February 17, 2007, state sea trials were successfully completed. The icebreaker showed high maneuverability and reliability. The State Commission confirmed the strict compliance of the quality of the ship's systems and mechanisms with domestic standards and international norms.
On March 23, 2007, JSC "Baltiysky Zavod" handed over to the customer the world's largest icebreaker "50 Let Pobedy". After official ceremony signing the act of acceptance and transfer, the state flag of the Russian Federation was hoisted on the ship in a solemn atmosphere.
With the signing of the acceptance certificate, the ship became part of the nuclear icebreaker fleet of Russia, at the same time becoming state property. The Federal Property Management Agency, in turn, by order of the Government of the Russian Federation, transferred the new nuclear-powered ship to the trust management of OJSC Murmansk Shipping Company.
On April 2, 2007, the icebreaker "50 Let Pobedy" left the shipyards in St. Petersburg and entered the Baltic Sea, heading for its permanent home port - Murmansk.
On April 11, 2007, "50 Years of Victory" successfully completed the passage from St. Petersburg, entered the Kola Bay and set up a roadstead in the area of its home port. The solemn ceremony of the meeting took place on the same day on the territory of FSUE Atomflot in Murmansk.
Representatives of the executive and legislative authorities of the city of Murmansk and the Murmansk region, federal executive authorities, veterans and employees of the nuclear fleet of the Murmansk Shipping Company gathered to meet the crew and the world's largest icebreaker.
The captain of the icebreaker reported to CEO of the Murmansk Shipping Company on the successful completion of the transition and the readiness of the crew to perform responsible state tasks along the Northern Sea Route and in the Russian Arctic.
The fact that the construction of the icebreaker "50 Let Pobedy" was nevertheless completed, and it arrived at its home port, indicates that the country has finally realized the role and importance of the Northern Sea Route and the Arctic for the realization of its strategic interests, and is starting to restoration of infrastructure.
The launch of the first working voyage to the Northern Sea Route was scheduled for the end of April 2007.
Transport wiring cargo ships along the Northern Sea Route - this is the first stage of operation of the nuclear-powered icebreaker "50 Years of Victory". At the second stage, the work of the icebreaker will probably be associated with the extraction of hydrocarbon raw materials on the Arctic shelf, the nuclear-powered ship will be engaged in servicing production platforms and escorting transport ships with hydrocarbons in the ice.
In addition, "50 Years of Victory" replaced the nuclear-powered icebreaker "Arktika" - the first icebreaker of this class built. The authorized life of its nuclear power plant ended in 2008. The Arktika icebreaker has worked out 175,000 hours - this is the maximum allowed service life, and in this regard, the commissioning of a new nuclear-powered ship was very timely.
At the end of June 2007, the icebreaker "50 Years of Victory" was in the Barents Sea near Cape Nadezhda of the archipelago New Earth, where he was supposed to take two transport ships for wiring and lead them through the ice to the Yenisei Bay. In fact, this was the first ice test for a newcomer to the Arctic tracks. Its crew had to check the operation of the nuclear power plant, equipment and mechanisms under difficult navigation conditions. natural conditions. Only after passing this exam could the nuclear-powered ship go to permanent work in the Arctic waters.
On July 03, 2007, the 50 Years of Pobedy nuclear-powered icebreaker successfully completed its first escort of ships heading to the port of Dudinka. Accompanied by the world's largest nuclear-powered icebreaker, the ships covered the ice from Cape Zhelaniya on Novaya Zemlya to the Yenisei Bay. Swimming proceeded normally.
On June 25, 2008, "50 Years of Victory" set off on its first voyage to the North Pole. There were about 100 tourists on board who wished to take part in a two-week excursion tour.
In March 2008, FSUE "Atomflot" became part of the State Atomic Energy Corporation "Rosatom", on the basis of the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation "On measures to establish the State Atomic Energy Corporation "Rosatom" (No. 369 dated March 20, 2008).
On August 27, 2008, an act was signed in Murmansk on the completion of measures to transfer the icebreaker "50 Let Pobedy" and other ships with a nuclear power plant, as well as nuclear technology service ships from the trust management of OJSC "Murmansk Shipping Company" to the economic management of FSUE "Atomflot" ". It was on this day that the contract for the trust management of the nuclear icebreaker fleet, which was concluded by the government of the Russian Federation with the joint-stock company Murmansk Shipping Company and has been in force since 1998, expired. At this stage, it was considered expedient to transfer federal property to the State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom, which performs state functions for the development of the nuclear industry in the Russian Federation.
The icebreaker "50 years of Victory" is a modernized project of the second series of nuclear-powered icebreakers of the "Arktika" type. The icebreaker is equipped with a new generation digital automatic control system and a modern set of means for ensuring nuclear and radiation safety of the nuclear power plant. The nuclear-powered ship is equipped with the Antiterror protection system, equipped with an environmental compartment with the latest equipment for the collection and disposal of waste produced during the operation of the ship.
The length of the vessel is 159 meters, width - 30 meters, total displacement - 25 thousand tons, speed - 18 knots. The maximum ice thickness that the icebreaker can overcome is 2.8 meters. It is equipped with two nuclear power plants. The ship's crew includes 138 people.
PERFORMANCE DATA
Type: nuclear icebreaker
State: Russia
Home port: Murmansk
Class: KM(*) LL1 A
IMO Number: 9152959
Callsign: UGYU
Shipyard-manufacturer: JSC "Baltiysky Zavod"
Length: 159.6 m
Width: 30 m
Height: 17.2 m (board height)
Average draft: 11 m
Power point: 2 nuclear reactors
Screws: 3 fixed pitch propellers with 4 removable blades
Displacement: 25 thousand tons
Power: 75,000 liters With.
Max speed at clean water: 21 knots
Speed in solid fast ice 2.7 meters thick: 2 knots
Estimated maximum ice thickness: 2.8 m
Swimming autonomy: 7.5 months (by provision)
Crew: 138 people. After a series of cuts, reduced to 106 people
Flag: RF
Mailing address: 183038, Murmansk 580, a/l "50 Years of Victory"
Email (at sea): [email protected]
Shipowner: FSUE "Atomflot" of the State Corporation "Rosatom"
This nuclear-powered icebreaker is a modernized project of the second series of the Arktika-class icebreaker, which includes 6 out of 10 ships built. The thickness of the ice that the floating craft can overcome is 2.8 m. It has many differences from its predecessor, for example, here it was decided to use a spoon-shaped “nose”, which showed itself remarkably well on tests of the prototype of the Canadian icebreaker Kenmar Kigoriyak. In addition, a modernized complex of biological protection means for a nuclear power plant, a digital automatic control system of the latest generation, a special environmental compartment, which is equipped with equipment designed to collect and dispose of all waste products of the floating craft, have been installed here.
Meanwhile, "50 Years of Victory" is not always engaged in rescuing other ships from captivity. In fact, it is also focused on Arctic cruising. So, you can personally go to the North Pole by paying a certain amount for a ticket. Since there are no passenger cabins as such, tourists are accommodated in the cabins of the ship. But on board there is its own restaurant, swimming pool, sauna, gym.
In the near future, the importance of such icebreakers will only increase. Indeed, in the future, more active development is planned natural resources, which are under the bottom of the Arctic Ocean.
Navigation on certain sections of the Northern Sea Route lasts only two to four months. The rest of the time the water is covered with ice, the thickness of which sometimes reaches 3 meters. In order not to waste extra fuel and not risk the crew and the ship once again, helicopters or reconnaissance planes are sent from the icebreakers to find an easier way through the polynyas.
Icebreakers are specially painted dark red so that they can be clearly seen in white ice.
The world's largest icebreaker can autonomously cruise in the Arctic Ocean for a year, breaking up ice up to 3 meters thick with its bow, shaped like a spoon.
Nuclear icebreakers are built only in Russia. Only our country has such an extended contact with the Arctic Ocean. The famous Northern Sea Route, 5600 km long, runs along the northern shores of our country. It starts at the Kara Gate and ends in Providence Bay. For example, if you move from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok, by this sea route, then the distance will be 14,280 km. And if you choose the path through the Suez Canal, then the distance will be more than 23 thousand km.
Let's take a look at the insides of the Icebreaker:
But Russia is ready to imagine something that the world has not yet seen: scientists and designers have planned a 170-meter icebreaker with two 60-megawatt nuclear reactors. It will be 14 meters longer and 3.5 meters wider than the largest operational Russian icebreaker and will be the largest universal nuclear-powered icebreaker in the world.
Here we are talking about metals for the construction of icebreakers:
and here are some photos of the case (taken here)
According to Nuclear.Ru, the disposal of five Russian nuclear-powered icebreakers will require about 10 billion rubles. This was announced by Anatoly Zakharchev, head of the project office "Comprehensive dismantling of nuclear submarines" of the State Corporation "Rosatom", speaking on October 9 at the 27th plenary meeting of the IAEA Contact Expert Group. He explained that today the disposal of one nuclear icebreaker is estimated at 2 billion rubles, and in total it is planned to dispose of five icebreakers.
At the same time, the dismantlement of two icebreakers, Sibir and Arktika, is included in the draft Federal Target Program Ensuring Nuclear and Radiation Safety for the Period 2016-2020 and until 2025, which is currently being formed. This program also includes work on the disposal of the Lotta and Lepse floating technical bases and a number of other works.
An outdated sign from around 2013.
Clickable
White silhouette - construction is planned
Yellow silhouette - construction in progress
Red frame - the icebreaker was at the North Pole
B - the icebreaker is designed to operate in the Baltic Sea
N - atomic
The first icebreaker in the world appeared in the 18th century. It was a small steamer capable of breaking ice in Philadelphia harbor. A lot of time has passed since the wheel was replaced by a turbine, and then a powerful nuclear reactor appeared. Today huge nuclear-powered ships are being hacked arctic ice huge power.
What is an icebreaker?
This is a vessel used in waters covered with a thick layer of ice. equipped with nuclear power plants, and therefore they have more power than diesel ones, making them easier to conquer frozen bodies of water. Icebreakers have another clear advantage - they do not need refueling.
The article below presents the largest icebreaker in the world (dimensions, design, features, etc.). Also, after reading the material, you can familiarize yourself with the largest liners world of this type.
General information
It should be noted that all 10 nuclear icebreakers that exist today were built and launched during the Soviet Union and Russia. The indispensability of such liners is proved by the operation that took place in 1983. At that time, about fifty ships, including diesel icebreakers, found themselves in the east of the Arctic, trapped in ice. Only thanks to the atomic bomb they were able to free themselves from captivity and deliver important goods to nearby settlements.
Nuclear-powered ships have been built in Russia for a long time, because only our state has long-term contact with the Arctic Ocean - the famous Northern Sea Route, the length of which is 5,600 kilometers. It starts at and ends at Providence Bay.
There is one interesting point: icebreakers are specially painted dark red so that they are clearly visible in the ice.
The article below presents the largest icebreakers in the world (top 10).
Icebreaker Arktika
One of the largest icebreakers, the Arktika nuclear-powered icebreaker, went down in history as the first surface ship to reach the North Pole. In 1982-1986 he was called "Leonid Brezhnev". Its laying took place in Leningrad, at the Baltic Shipyard, in July 1971. More than 400 enterprises and associations, design and research scientific and other organizations took part in its creation.
The icebreaker was launched into the water at the end of 1972. The purpose of the vessel is to pilot vessels along the Northern Arctic Ocean.
The length of the nuclear-powered ship is 148 meters, and the board has a height of about 17 meters. Its width is 30 meters. The power of the steam generating nuclear plant is more than 55 megawatts. The technical indicators of the vessel made it possible to break through ice having a thickness of 5 meters, and its speed in clear water developed up to 18 knots.
Below are the 10 largest (by length) modern icebreakers in the world:
1. "Sevmorput" is an icebreaker and transport vessel. Its length is 260 meters, the height corresponds to the size of a multi-storey building. The vessel is able to pass through a thickness of ice of 1 meter.
2. Arktika is the largest nuclear-powered icebreaker with a length of 173 meters. It was launched in 2016 and represents the first nuclear-powered icebreaker of the Russian Federation. Capable of breaking ice up to 3 meters thick.
3. "50 Years of Victory" - a sea nuclear icebreaker (the largest in the world) of the "Arktika" class, which is distinguished by its impressive power and deep landing. Its length is 159.6 meters.
4. "Taimyr" - a nuclear-powered river icebreaker that breaks ice in the mouths of rivers up to 1.7 meters thick. Its length is 151.8 meters. A feature of the vessel is a reduced landing and the ability to operate at low extreme temperatures.
5. "Vaigach" - built according to the same project with "Taimyr" (but it is a little younger). Nuclear equipment was installed on the ship in 1990. Its length is 151.8 m.
6. "Yamal" - famous for the fact that it was on this icebreaker that the meeting of the beginning of the third millennium at the North Pole took place. The total number of voyages of the nuclear-powered ship to this point was almost 50. Its length is 150 meters.
7. Healy is the largest US icebreaker. In 2015, for the first time, Americans were able to travel to the North Pole on it. The research vessel is equipped with the latest laboratory and measuring equipment. Its length is 128 meters.
8. PolarSea is one of the oldest icebreakers in the United States of America, built in 1977. Seattle is the home port. The length of the vessel is 122 meters. Perhaps, due to old age, it will soon be decommissioned.
9. Louis S. St-Laurent - the largest icebreaker built in Canada (120 meters long) in 1969 and completely modernized in 1993. This is the first ship in the world to reach the North Pole in 1994.
10. Polarstern is a German nuclear-powered ship built in 1982 and intended for scientific research. The oldest ship has a length of 118 meters. In 2017, Polarstern-II will be built, which will replace its predecessor and take over the watch in the Arctic.
The largest icebreaker in the world: photo, description, purpose
"50 Years of Victory" is a modernized experimental project of the 2nd series of icebreakers of the "Arktika" type. On this vessel, the shape of the bow in the form of a spoon is used. It was first used in the development of the experimental "Kenmar Kigoriyak" (icebreaker, Canada) in 1979 and convincingly proved its effectiveness.
It is the largest and most powerful in the world equipped with a modern digital automatic control system. It also has a modernized set of means for the biological protection of a nuclear power plant. It is also equipped with an environmental compartment equipped with the latest modern equipment that collects and utilizes the waste products of the personnel on the ship.
The icebreaker "50 Let Pobedy" is not only engaged in the release of other ships from ice captivity, it is also focused on the implementation of tourist cruises. Of course, there are no passenger cabins on the ship, so tourists are accommodated in the usual cabins of the ship. However, the board of the ship is equipped with a restaurant, sauna, swimming pool and gym.
Brief history of the ship
The world's largest icebreaker - "50 Years of Victory". It was designed in Leningrad, at the Baltic Shipyard, in 1989, and 4 years later it was built and launched for the first time. However, its construction was not completed due to financial troubles. Only in 2003, its construction was resumed, and in February 2007, tests began in the Gulf of Finland. Murmansk became its port of registry.
Despite the protracted start, today the ship has more than a hundred trips to the North Pole.
The most powerful and largest icebreaker "50 Years of Victory" is the 8th nuclear-powered icebreaker, designed and built at the Baltic Shipyard.
"Siberia"
At one time, the Soviet Union had no equal in the field of building nuclear icebreakers. In those days, there were no such ships anywhere in the world, while the USSR had 7 nuclear-powered icebreakers. For example, "Siberia" is a ship that has become a direct continuation of nuclear installations of the "Arktika" type.
The ship was equipped with a satellite communications system responsible for fax, navigation and telephone communications. It also had all the amenities: a lounge, swimming pool, sauna, library, training room and a huge dining room.
The icebreaker "Sibir" went down in history as the first ship to make year-round navigation from Murmansk to Dudinka. In addition, it is the second ship to reach the top of the planet at the North Pole.
In 1977 (the moment the icebreaker was commissioned), it had the largest dimensions: 29.9 meters - width, 147.9 meters - length. At that time, it was the largest icebreaker in the world.
Importance of icebreakers
The importance of such ships will only increase in the near future, because many activities are planned for the active development of natural resources located under the bottom of the great Arctic Ocean.
In some sections, navigation does not last only 2-4 months, because the rest of the time all the water is covered with ice up to 3 meters or more thick. In order not to risk the ship and the crew, and also in order to save fuel, aircraft and helicopters are sent from the icebreakers to carry out reconnaissance in search of an easier way.
The world's largest icebreakers have an important feature - they can autonomously navigate the Arctic Ocean throughout the year, breaking up to 3 meters thick ice of an unusual shape with their bows.
Conclusion
The USSR at one time had absolute dominance in the world in terms of the number of such ships. In total, seven nuclear-powered icebreakers were built in those days.
Since 1989, some icebreakers of this type have been used for tourist excursions, committed mostly to the North Pole.
In winter, the thickness of ice in the ocean averages 1.2-2 meters, and in some areas it reaches 2.5 meters, but nuclear icebreakers are able to navigate such waters at a speed of 20 kilometers per hour (11 knots). In ice-free waters, speeds can reach 45 kilometers per hour (or 25 knots).
Giant dogostroy
The largest icebreaker in the world today is the 50 Years of Victory. It was built in Russia in 2007 at the Baltic Shipyard. The construction of the icebreaker was started in 1989, then it was stopped due to a lack of funding, and resumed in the late nineties. The length of the icebreaker is 159 m, the width is 30 m. The power plant consists of two reactors with a total capacity of 75,000 hp.
Such power could provide electricity to a modern metropolis with a population of 2,000,000 people. Displacement of the icebreaker - 25 thousand tons. The giant is capable of breaking through ice up to 2.8 m thick at a speed of 18 knots.
Champion Virtues
"50 Let Pobedy" is the eighth icebreaker built at the Baltic Shipyard and is the result of a modernized project of Arktika-type nuclear-powered icebreakers. During its development, the designers used the spoon-shaped bow shape, which was first used in the construction of the Canadian icebreaker Kenmar Kigoriyak, and proved to be highly effective during sea trials.
The ship is equipped with an automatic control system complex, which uses new generation digital sensors. Also, the system of radiation and nuclear safety of the power plant was modernized, which was re-examined by Gostekhnadzor. The nuclear-powered ship is equipped with a modern anti-terror security system. The environmental compartment of the icebreaker is equipped with the latest equipment for the accumulation and disposal of waste produced during the life of the ship.
Icebreaker equipment
The icebreaker has 138 crew and can take 128 passengers on board. Comfortable cabins are equipped with air conditioning systems, separate bathrooms and toilets, safes, refrigerators, TVs, DVD players and telephones. Passenger cabins are divided into standard, junior suite, suite, Victoria suite and Arctic suite. The infrastructure also includes a restaurant and two bars, a music salon, a swimming pool with warm sea water, two saunas, a gym, a sports ground, a shop, a library, a lecture hall, a hospital and a laundry.
Cruises to the North Pole are becoming more and more popular, although it is, of course, an expensive form of recreation. Many are attracted by the opportunity to visit the northernmost geographical point of the Earth, to see marine life in natural conditions: seals, walruses, polar bears. Passenger access to the navigation bridge is not closed almost around the clock.
triumphal procession
Recently, 50 Years of Victory completed another escort of sea tankers through the ice Gulf of Finland. More than 100 vessels used the services of the world's largest nuclear-powered icebreaker during the scheduled voyage.
