Monster icebreaker for transpolar shipping

It looks more like a fantacy yacht made for a Russian oligarch. However, the vessel is not made for fancy holidays along the Crimean coast.

If the plans of Rosatomflot turns into reality, the ship will become Russia’s main icebreaking vessel for transpolar shipments. The projected vessel, preliminary named “Lider” (project 10510), will be able to open 50 meter wide lanes through the ice and escort ships straight from the European to the American Arctic.

Designed for Rosatomflot, the state company operating Russia’s civilian nuclear-powered vessels, the “Lider” will be 205 meter long and have a deadweight of at least 55,000 tons. It will have a nuclear powered engine with an effect of at least 110 MW and be able to break through 4 meter thick ice.

In an interview with the company magazine of the United Shipbuilding Corporation, leader of Rosatomflot Vyacheslav Ruksha confirms that the ship is designed by Krylov design bureau as part of a federal assignment.

The “Lider” is significantly bigger than the LK-60, the icebreaker currently under construction at the Baltiisky Yard in St. Petersburg.

In the same interview, Mr Ruksha expresses doubt over human-made impacts on climate. “Talks over climate change has become fashionable. However, fashion comes and go […] It is all very funny”.

“There is ice enough for all of us”, he underlines.

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As previously reported, Russia is currently in the process of building at least 14 various-class icebreakers.