In fact, Russia’s largest and most powerful nuclear-powered icebreaker returned from its stage one of sea trials prior to its planned delivery in May 2020.
Namely, Arktika, which is still under construction at Russia’s Baltic Shipyard in St. Petersburg, departed St. Petersburg on December to the Gulf of Finland, returning two days later after completing testing of the ship’s generators, navigation and communications systems.
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A final stage of sea trials is now set for March to April 2020.
The icebreaker is part of Russia’s project 22220 which aims to produce three nuclear-powered icebreakers for Russia’s state nuclear agency ROSATOM.
What is more, once delivered, Arktika is expected to become the largest and most powerful icebreaker in the world, used for ship escort and icebreaking in the Russian Arctic.
Specifically, Arktika will displace 33,540 tonnes and is equipped with two nuclear reactors each with 175 MW thermal capacity.
It was on 16 June 2016 when the nuclear icebreaker Arktika, pr. 22220, constructed to the class of the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (the Register, RS), was launched in Baltic Shipyard.
On September 22 2017, Russia’s first of a series of nuclear icebreakers “Sibir” was launched at the Baltic Shipyard (part of the United Shipbuilding Corporation).
The 173-meter-long new nuclear-powered ship, part of Russia’s Project 22220, aims to renew the national fleet of nuclear icebreakers. The vessel together with “Arktika”, are expected to become the largest and most powerful icebreakers in the world, as they are capable of breaking ice up to three meters thick.
In August 2017 Russia celebrated a new milestone of its nuclear-powered icebreaker fleet, reached by the seventh Arktika class icebreaker which reached the North Pole.
