Russia’s Latest Nuclear Powered Icebreaker To Boost India’s Arctic Plans Via Northern Sea Route

December 29, 2021

Russia has launched a new nuclear powered icebreaker ‘Sibir’ that will contribute to the rapidly growing fleet of lethal icebreakers to keep the Northern Sea Route open for year-round shipping through the Arctic enabling wider presence of India in the region.

During the 21st edition of the India-Russia summit held on December 6, the Indian Side also expressed its interest in collaborating with Russia on the Northern Sea Route. The Indian Side congratulated the Russian Side for its ongoing successful chairmanship of the Arctic Council from 2021-23 and expressed its readiness to play an active role as an Observer in the Arctic Council.

Oil and gas reserves in the Russian Arctic may be sufficient for the country if necessary, for decades and even centuries, according to Russian estimates.

Simultaneously, the Arctic is opening new opportunities for hydrocarbons and other potential resources that lie unexplored beneath its ice. Russia maintains a dominant position in the Arctic and considers the region its strategic backyard.

The Arctic, in recent times, has presented a new front of opportunities and cooperation between India and Russia. The Barents area in the Arctic region has some of the best-known mineral deposits and some of the world’s best deep harbours from which to transport the products. The region is rich in iron-ore. Russia’s oil and gas development projects in the Arctic are being given high priority.

The Northern Sea Route via Arctic offers the shortest route between East Asian and Western European ports. It is estimated that the maritime distance from Shanghai to Rotterdam via NSR will be 30 per cent shorter vis-à-vis the Suez Canal route, cutting time by 10–12 days. Likewise, the distance from Yokohama to Rotterdam will be 40 per cent shorter.

“The commissioning of the first-in-series versatile nuclear icebreaker Sibir will strengthen Atomflot’s position in the Arctic”, noted Mustafa Kashka, CEO, Atomflot. “Project 22220 nuclear icebreakers have accumulated the rich experience of shipbuilders and mariners. We believe that the efficient operation of such icebreakers is a key factor to enable the sustainable development of the Northern Sea Route navigation”.

“We are confident that the efficient operation of these vessels will become a determining factor in the sustainable development of shipping in the water area of the Northern Sea Route,” he added.

Construction of the “Sibir” started in autumn 2015 and the icebreaker will sail north around Scandinavia to her new homeport in Murmansk on Russia’s coast to the Barents Sea.

Rosatomflot says in the press statement the icebreaker then will start working for the winter/spring season 2022 to break the ice along the Northern Sea Route. Sibir, the first in series versatile nuclear icebreaker, will leave St. Petersburg for her homeport Murmansk as the paperwork and preparations for winter and spring maritime operations are completed.

Russia has a fleet of six nuclear-powered icebreakers: ”Taymyr”, “Vaygash”, “50 Let Pobedy”, “Yamal”, “Arktika” and “Sibir”. Also, the nuclear-powered cargo ship “Sevmorput” belongs to Rosatomflot’s fleet based in Murmansk.

“I would like to thank the Atomflot team who collaborated with us during the icebreaker construction and sea trials. The vessel is going away, and the Baltic Shipyard is following her with our aftersales support and spare parts. I hope you would appreciate the product of our joint efforts”, said Alexey Kadilov, CEO, Baltic Shipyard.

Ural, Yakutia, and Chukotka nuclear icebreakers are now being built in St. Petersburg. The Project 22220 icebreakers will help unleash the traffic potential of the Northern Sea Route.

Courtesy: NEG News