Sibir (2017 icebreaker) explained

Sibir (Russian: Сибирь; literally: Siberia) is a Russian Project 22220 nuclear-powered icebreaker. Built by Baltic Shipyard in Saint Petersburg, the vessel was laid down in 2015, launched in 2017, and delivered in December 2021.[1]

Development and construction

Background

In the late 1980s, the Russian research institutes and design bureaus developed a successor for the 1970s Arktika-class nuclear-powered icebreakers as part of a wider icebreaker fleet renewal program initiated shortly after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The new 60-megawatt icebreaker, referred to using a type size series designation LK-60Ya,[2] would feature a so-called dual-draft functionality which would allow the vessel to operate in shallow coastal areas after de-ballasting. Although the preliminary designs had been developed almost two decades earlier, the LK-60Ya design was finalized in 2009 as Project 22220 by Central Design Bureau "Iceberg"[3] and the construction of the first vessel was awarded to Saint Petersburg-based Baltic Shipyard in August 2012.[4] Three additional contracts in May 2014, August 2019 and February 2023 have increased the number of Project 22220 icebreakers under construction or on order to seven.[5] [6] [7]

Construction

The tender for construction of two additional Project 22220 nuclear-powered icebreakers, referred to as the first and second serial vessels of the project, was announced at the keel laying ceremony of the lead ship Arktika on 5 November 2013.[8] On 8 May 2014, the 84.4 billion ruble (about US$2.4 billion)[9] contract for two vessels was awarded to the Saint Petersburg -based Baltic Shipyard, the only company whose bid had been accepted.[10]

The keel of the second Project 22220 icebreaker was laid on 26 May 2015.[11] After the launching of Arktika in June and in order to make way for the keel laying of the third icebreaker,[12] the partially-assembled hull weighing about 3500t was moved about 125m (410feet) along the slipway to the position where final hull construction would take place.[13] The icebreaker was launched as Sibir, Russian for Siberia, on 22 September 2017.[14] Previously, the name had been used on the second Arktika-class icebreaker that was in service in 1977–1992.

Initially, the delivery of the second Project 22220 nuclear-powered icebreaker was scheduled for 2018,[8] but this had to be postponed due to problems with the delivery of the steam turbines from a domestic manufacturer.[15]

Sibir left for first sea trials on 16 November 2021[16] and returned to Saint Petersburg on 30 November.[17] The second sea trials were completed in December 2021.[18] While some minor malfunctions were discovered,[19] the icebreaker was delivered to Atomflot on 24 December 2021.

Career

Sibir left Saint Petersburg on 13 January 2022 and, after a flag-raising ceremony in Murmansk on 25 January 2022,[20] headed to the Kara Sea and Gulf of Ob to escort ships through the ice.[21]

Design

Sibir is 173.3m (568.6feet) long overall and has a maximum beam of 34m (112feet). Designed to operate efficiently both in shallow Arctic river estuaries as well as along the Northern Sea Route, the draught of the vessel can be varied between about 9and by taking in and discharging ballast water, corresponding to a displacement between 25540t33530t.[22]

Sibir has a nuclear-turbo-electric powertrain. The onboard nuclear power plant consists of two 175 RITM-200 pressurized water reactors fueled by up to 20% enriched Uranium-235[23] and two 36 turbogenerators.[24] [25] [26] The propulsion system follows the classic polar icebreaker pattern with three 6.2m (20.3feet) four-bladed propellers driven by 20-3NaN-3 electric motors.[27] [28] With a total propulsion power of 60MW, Sibir is designed to be capable of breaking 2.8m (09.2feet) thick level ice at a continuous speed of 1.5- at full power when operating in deep water at design draught.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Baltiysky Zavod shipyard delivers Sibir, first serial icebreaker of Project 22220, to Atomflot. PortNews. 24 December 2021. 24 December 2021. 24 December 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211224145332/https://en.portnews.ru/news/323194/. live.
  2. The type size series designation "LK-60Ya" (Russian: ЛК-60Я) comes from the Russian language word for "icebreaker" (Russian: text=ледокол|translit=ledokol), propulsion power (60 megawatts), and the first letter of the Russian word for "nuclear" (Russian: text=ядерное|translit=yadernoye).
  3. Web site: Largest icebreaker construction now underway. 26 January 2014. The Motorship. 24 December 2019. 12 August 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210812073223/https://www.motorship.com/news101/ships-and-shipyards/largest-icebreaker-construction-now-underway. live.
  4. Web site: Baltic Shipyard to build new large nuclear-powered icebreaker (Project 22220 LC-60YA). Navy Recognition. 7 August 2012. 24 December 2019. 19 November 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221119215957/https://navyrecognition.com/index.php/news/defence-news/year-2012-news/august/552--baltic-shipyard-to-build-new-large-nuclear-powered-icebreaker-project-22220-lc-60ya.html. live.
  5. Web site: Baltiysky Shipyard to build three new icebreakers by 2020. Barents Observer. 8 May 2014. 24 December 2019. 31 March 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230331090316/https://barentsobserver.com/en/arctic/2014/05/baltiysky-shipyard-build-three-new-icebreakers-2020-08-05. live.
  6. Web site: Russia's ATOMFLOT Orders 4th & 5th Project 22220 Nuclear-Powered Icebreakers. Naval News. 11 August 2019. 24 December 2019. 30 January 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230130045217/https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2019/08/russias-atomflot-orders-4th-5th-project-22220-nuclear-powered-icebreakers/. live.
  7. Web site: Росатомфлот заключил контракт на строительство пятого и шестого серийных универсальных атомных ледоколов. ru. Rosatomflot. 3 February 2023. 3 February 2023. 3 February 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230203113048/http://rosatomflot.ru/press-centr/novosti-predpriyatiya/2023/02/03/11503-rosatomflot-zaklyuchil-kontrakt-na-stroitelstvo-pyatogo-i-shestogo-seriynyh-universalnyh-atomnyh-ledokolov/. live.
  8. Web site: Atomflot announces tender for construction of two serial nuclear icebreakers. PortNews. 5 November 2013. 25 December 2019. 12 August 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220812152205/https://en.portnews.ru/news/170189/. live.
  9. Web site: Baltic Shipyard building nuclear icebreaker. VEUS e.V.. 24 September 2014. 25 December 2019. 12 August 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210812071637/http://www.veus.de/index.php/de/news/128-baltic-shipyard-building-nuclear-icebreaker. live.
  10. Web site: Baltiysky Shipyard awarded no-bid contract for construction of two nuclear icebreakers of project 22220. PortNews. 8 May 2014. 25 December 2019. 25 December 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191225104548/http://en.portnews.ru/news/180025/. live.
  11. Web site: Keel laying ceremony of the nuclear-powered icebreaker takes place at the Baltic Shipyard. PortNews. 27 May 2015. 25 December 2019. 4 April 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230404205911/https://en.portnews.ru/news/200357/. live.
  12. Web site: Hull of the Siberia, the second icebreaker of project 22220, shifted to a new position at Baltiysky Zavod shipyard. Navigator Magazine. 1 July 2016. 28 December 2019. 28 December 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191228115713/https://navigatormagazine.fi/news/hull-of-the-siberia-the-second-icebreaker-of-project-22220-shifted-to-a-new-position-at-baltiysky-zavod-shipyard/. live.
  13. Web site: Hull of the Siberia, first serial icebreaker of project 22220, shifted to a new position at Baltiysky Zavod shipyard. PortNews. 28 June 2016. 25 December 2019. 12 August 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220812152208/https://en.portnews.ru/news/221849/. live.
  14. Web site: Baltiysky Zavod launches Sibir, first serial nuclear-powered icebreaker of Project 22220 (photo). PortNews. 22 September 2017. 25 December 2019. 12 August 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220812152207/https://en.portnews.ru/news/246043/. live.
  15. Web site: Russia's Rosatomflot Launches Third New Nuclear Icebreaker. 28 May 2019. 25 December 2019. High North News. 9 June 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230609122752/https://www.highnorthnews.com/en/russias-rosatomflot-launches-third-new-nuclear-icebreaker. live.
  16. Web site: Baltiysky Zavod sends nuclear-powered icebreaker Sibir for sea trials. PortNews. 17 November 2021. 19 November 2021. 19 November 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211119012100/https://en.portnews.ru/news/321348/. live.
  17. Web site: Первый серийный атомный ледокол проекта 22220 «Сибирь» вернулся в Санкт-Петербург с ходовых испытаний в акватории Финского залива. ru. Атомная энергия 2.0. 30 November 2021. 1 December 2021. 1 December 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211201051911/https://www.atomic-energy.ru/news/2021/11/30/119795. live.
  18. Web site: First serial icebreaker of Project 22220, Sibir, completed final phase of shipbuilder's sea trials. 21 December 2021. PortNews. 25 December 2021. 24 December 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211224145421/https://en.portnews.ru/news/322992/. live.
  19. Web site: В рамках ходовых испытаний ледокола «Сибирь» проекта 22220 обнаружены сбои – ФГУП «Атомфлот». ru. PortNews. 24 December 2021. 24 December 2021. 24 December 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211224212436/https://portnews.ru/news/323197/. live.
  20. Web site: На ледоколе "Сибирь" поднят Государственный флаг РФ. ru. Sudostroenie.info. 26 January 2022. 25 January 2022. 25 January 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220125144244/https://sudostroenie.info/novosti/35366.html. live.
  21. Web site: Атомоход проекта 22220 «Сибирь» вышел из Санкт-Петербурга в порт Мурманск. ru. PortNews. 13 January 2022. 13 January 2022. 13 January 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220113120305/https://portnews.ru/news/323826/. live.
  22. Web site: Испытание Дудинкой. «Сибирь» поборола лишний вес. ru. Fontanka.ru. 2 February 2022. 2 February 2022. 2 February 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220202133310/https://www.fontanka.ru/2022/02/02/70417997/. live.
  23. Web site: Marine Nuclear Power: 1939 – 2018. Peter. Lobner. 25 September 2021. 28 April 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220428074833/https://lynceans.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Marine-Nuclear-Power-1939-2018_Part-3A_R1_Russia_submarines.pdf. live.
  24. Web site: Serving the nuclear machine building industry since 1945. JSC "Afrikantov OKBM". 26 April 2020. 27 January 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200127142241/http://www.okbm.nnov.ru/upload/iblock/99a/99a99ac98bb4a29bc538d90b3d8be7dc.pdf. dead.
  25. Web site: Kirovsky Zavod Will Manufacture a Steam-Turbine Plant for the World's Largest Nuclear-Powered Ice-Breaker. Kirovsky Zavod. 27 August 2013. 26 April 2020. 27 October 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201027033844/https://kzgroup.ru/eng/m/110/kirovsky_zavod_will_manufacture_a_steam-turbine_plant_for_the_worlds_largest_nuclear-powered_ice-br.html. dead.
  26. Web site: Турбогенератор РУСЭЛПРОМА установили на атомный ледокол. ru. Ruselprom. 26 April 2020. 30 November 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221130182644/https://www.ruselprom.ru/about/press-tsentr/novosti/turbogenerator-ruselproma-ustanovili-na-atomnyy-ledokol-/. live.
  27. Web site: Электродвигатели "Русэлпрома" погружены на ледокол "Сибирь". Ruselprom. ru. 26 April 2020. 7 February 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230207141203/https://www.ruselprom.ru/about/press-tsentr/novosti/elektrodvigateli-ruselproma-pogruzheny-na-ledokol-sibir/. live.
  28. Web site: "Звездочка" изготовила лопасти гребных винтов для головного атомного ледокола. ru. 20 April 2016. 26 April 2020. TASS. 19 November 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221119220015/https://tass.ru/armiya-i-opk/3222109. live.

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