Russia's state-owned United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) has commenced development of a new series of icebreakers that will be operated primarily in port waters in the Russian Arctic.
The icebreakers will be designed to be capable of ensuring safe year-round navigation in ports and approach channels lying along the Northern Sea Route (NSR), the 5,600-kilometre Arctic shipping corridor that provides the shortest possible passage between Asia and Europe.
Each vessel in the series will have a hull reinforced that has been reinforced to ice7 standards, a diesel-electric propulsion system with four azimuthing thrusters, and an open cargo deck at the stern.
The accommodation spaces and the propulsion machinery will be located amidships.
USC said that it has not yet selected a company that will undertake design work on the new NSR port icebreakers.
Russia has had icebreakers regularly operating on the NSR. However, these vessels have been used mainly to escort less capable ships along the route as opposed to being limited to operation near ports.
