Russian shipyard Zvezda has started construction of the first Leader-class nuclear icebreaker - RT quoted Rosatomflot, a subsidiary of Russian state-owned nuclear power group Rosatom, as saying. The first ship will be named "Russia".
"This will be the strongest icebreaker in the history of global shipbuilding, no other like it in the world. The Leader project will become the foundation for Russia's new generation icebreaker fleet," the company said.
The new Leader, also known as Project 10510, was given a green light in April, when Zvezda and Rosatomflot signed a construction contract. The icebreaker is expected to be operational in 2027.
"The unique icebreaker has a special feature to operate year-round in the northeast of the Arctic," said Rosatomflot CEO Mustafa Kashka.
Formed in 2016, the Leader icebreaker is superior to any existing nuclear-powered icebreaker, including Japan's world's most powerful Project 22220 icebreaker, which is currently under construction. The project's first ship, Arktika, is currently undergoing final testing and is expected to join the fleet at the end of this year, while two other ships of this type will be launched in the next two years.
While Arktika is likely to break a 3-meter thick layer of ice, the new Leader icebreaker will be able to cut across a 4.3 meter thick layer of ice and stay at sea for 8 months without having to enter port. The new icebreakers will have double their damage, with a power of 120 MWatt, compared to 60 MWatt of Arktika.
The size of the Leader icebreaker is also impressive: The ship will be over 210 meters long - slightly shorter than the two soccer fields and 47 meters high, equivalent to a 13-storey residential building.
Both classes will be tasked with paving the way for Russian lighter icebreakers in the North Sea route. They will escort ships carrying fossil fuels to the Asia-Pacific from Russian Arctic mines.
Russia is the only country in the world to operate a large nuclear-powered icebreaker fleet. Such ships are significantly larger and more powerful than conventional energy partners, so they can operate in thick ice areas in the Arctic. Nuclear-powered engines allow ships to operate autonomously for long periods of time without having to fuel them regularly.
