Construction of the world’s most powerful nuclear icebreaker “Russia” has started

The capacity of the icebreaker “Russia” will exceed 163,000 horsepower, and the length of the vessel will be 209 meters.

Construction of the world’s most powerful nuclear icebreaker “Russia” project “Leader” has begun at the far Eastern shipyard “Zvezda”, reported FSUE “Atomflot” (Rosatomflot, part of the state Corporation “Rosatom”).

“The first metal cutting for the construction of the project 10510 heavy-duty nuclear icebreaker Leader took place on July 6 at the shipyard in Bolshoy Kamen, Primorsky Krai,” the company said in a press release.

Rosatomflot and Zvezda shipbuilding complex signed a contract for the construction of the Leader nuclear icebreaker of project 10510 this April. According to the contract, the vessel will be commissioned in 2027.
“The project 10510 vessel has no analogues. The unique nuclear icebreaker has exceptional technical characteristics that will allow it to guarantee year-round wiring in the Eastern Arctic.<…> Rosatom state Corporation has supported Rosatomflot’s initiative to assign the name “Russia” to the heavy — duty nuclear icebreaker of project 10510, – said Rosatomflot CEO Mustafa Kashka.

The nuclear icebreaker will be built according to the technical project of the Central design Bureau “iceberg”. The main characteristics of the “Leader”: power — 120 MW (on shafts); speed — 22 knots (on clear water); length — 209 meters; width — 47.7 meters; ice penetration (maximum) — four meters; displacement when draught along the Wake line — almost 70 thousand tons.
The vessel will be equipped with a nuclear power plant with two RITM-400 type reactors, a steam turbine plant with four turbo generators of 37 MW each, and an electric propulsion system with four rowing electric motors of 30 MW each.