Four more to be built! Russia restarts the construction plan for LNG-powered icebreakers

2021-07-28 09:00

Russia is accelerating the construction of large icebreakers to contend for dominance in the Arctic.

According to Reuters, Alexei Likhachev, CEO of Russia's State Atomic Energy Corporation (Rosatom), revealed that by the end of this year, the company will decide whether to build 2 to 4 medium-sized LNG-powered icebreakers.

Rosatom initially considered ordering LNG-powered icebreakers in 2018. At that time, Russian energy giant Novatek had signed a memorandum of understanding with Rosatom to develop LNG-powered icebreakers, but these plans ultimately did not progress.

It is estimated that the construction cost of an LNG-powered icebreaker is approximately half that of a nuclear-powered icebreaker, equivalent to about 30 billion rubles (approximately 407 million US dollars), while the cost of building a nuclear-powered icebreaker is as high as 60 billion rubles (approximately 814 million US dollars).

Currently, Rosatom operates Russia's nuclear-powered icebreaker fleet, which is also the world's only nuclear-powered icebreaker fleet. To help achieve Russia's strategic plan for year-round opening of the Northern Sea Route (NSR), Rosatom is continuously expanding its icebreaker fleet. The Russian government has appointed Rosatom as the national operator for the Northern Sea Route.

Russia has been striving to become a leading force in the Arctic region, where the receding ice cap allows Russia to develop a new shipping route. Compared to the traditional Suez Canal route, vessels arriving at Asian ports via the Northern Sea Route can shorten their travel time by up to 15 days.

Transit in the Eastern Arctic usually ends in November, but Russia hopes icebreakers can help use this route year-round – a route made more accessible due to climate change. The development of the Northern Sea Route should particularly simplify the delivery of oil and gas to Southeast Asia and swiftly complete the connection of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through the Arctic.

At the commissioning ceremony of the icebreaker "Arktika" last year, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said that the icebreaker fleet would "ensure Russia's advantage in the Arctic region."

Last October, the first of five Project 22220 nuclear-powered icebreakers, the "Arktika", built by the Baltic Shipyard in St. Petersburg under commission from Rosatom, was officially delivered for operation. This is the world's largest and most powerful nuclear-powered icebreaker, which will operate on the Northern Sea Route and is considered key to Russia's development of the Northern Sea Route.

According to International Shipping Network, the Baltic Shipyard is currently building four more Project 22220 nuclear-powered icebreakers for Rosatom. The second vessel, "Sibir," started construction in May 2015 and was launched in September 2017, originally scheduled for delivery in November 2020; the third vessel, "Ural," started construction in July 2016 and was launched in May this year, expected to be delivered in 2022. The fourth vessel, "Yakutiya," and the fifth vessel, "Chukotka," were ordered last August and are planned to be completed before 2025 and 2027, respectively.

The construction project for the Project 22220 nuclear-powered icebreakers is part of Russia's strategic plan to enable year-round navigation on the Northern Sea Route. These nuclear-powered icebreakers will navigate along Russia's Arctic coast on the Northern Sea Route, guiding convoys through the Arctic. With climate warming, Russia hopes the Northern Sea Route can become a "mini" Suez Canal, shortening travel time from Asia to Europe. According to the Russian government's goals, freight traffic on the Northern Sea Route will increase to 80 million tons by 2024 and further to 130 million tons by 2035.

In addition to the Project 22220 nuclear-powered icebreakers, Rosatom also ordered the "Lider" heavy nuclear-powered icebreaker from Russia's Zvezda Shipyard last April. This Project 10510, 120-megawatt nuclear-powered icebreaker will become the world's most powerful heavy nuclear-powered icebreaker, with delivery planned for 2027.

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