Photo: Atomenergomash
Nuclear Reactor for Yakutia Icebreaker to Be Assembled
On 21 February 2022, Rosatom, the state-owned Russian nuclear monopoly, announced the launch of work to assemble a nuclear reactor for Yakutia, the fourth atomic icebreaker in the Project 22220 family being built at the Baltic Shipyard in St. Petersburg.
The reactor will be assembled at ZiO Podolsk, Rosatom’s machine building plant responsible for producing RITM-200 nuclear reactors for the Arktika-class icebreakers. It has already supplied reactors for the icebreakers Arktika, Sibir (commissioned) and Ural (under construction). Two reactor units for Yakutia will be assembled by this summer, while another two, for the icebreaker Chukotka, will be ready by late 2023.
The icebreaker Yakutia is expected to be commissioned in December 2025.
It is noteworthy that RITM-200 reactor units were designed to be used not only at nuclear-powered icebreakers, but also as part of small power plants. The latter is seen as a good solution in terms of bringing carbon-free energy to remote areas in the Russian Arctic. For instance, RITM-series SMRs will be installed at a power station to supply electricity to the planned Baimskaya ore processing plant in Chukotka.
Arctic Today is a column by PORA CEO Alexander Stotskiy analyzing major international, national and regional events and trends in the Arctic.
Arctic Today is a column by PORA CEO Alexander Stotskiy analyzing major international, national and regional events and trends in the Arctic.
22 February 2022
