Climate warming
Ice thin – Putin’s Super ice-breaker can not be tested
The ships of the project 22220 is to keep the Northern route of the ice-free.
© Rosatomflot / PR
Three-Meter-thick massive sheets of ice can break the Arktika with the power of two nuclear reactors. At least in theory. During the testing of the icebreaker met with only in thin slabs, because the Arctic melts.
The giant icebreaker Arktika is the first of five nuclear-powered vessels of the project 22220. With them, Russia is underlining its claim to the Arctic, according to Russian view, a large part of the ice-covered sea belongs to the exclusive Russian economic zone. A real control over the area can be reached only by icebreaker. (read more about this: Parade in the Arctic – Putin’s handle to the North pole)
Now it almost seems as the Arktika for the project would be sized to be powerful. All of the icebreakers of the project 22220 is 173 meters long and with two nuclear reactors of the type RITM-200 is equipped. The reactors produce up to 110MW of electricity. Reactors of the type RITM-200 will also drive the Russian aircraft carrier of the next Generation, the project 23000 “Shtorm”, if the should ever be built. The ships of the series of project 22220 will be by far the most powerful icebreaker in the world. You displace 33,000 tons, and can be solid ice up to a thickness of three meters to break through.
On the first test drive the ship from the home port should reach Murmansk from the North pole and the limits of its abilities, thick sheets of ice break up, to the test. The North pole was reached, however, pushed the Arktika on the way there is no resistance. The head of the acceptance team, the icebreakers, Oleg Shchapin said the news Agency TASS disappointed that new Tests need to take place in the ice. “The Eistests are still to come, probably this year, because so far, the Eistests did not work. The ice thickness was only 1.1 to 1.2 meters. The ice was thin and loose, the ice-breaker received no resistance”, so Schtschapin. He added: “We have tried to find a three-Meter-thick ice floe, but you have not found.”
It is unclear where the icebreaker to encounter such ice sheets. The ice cap around the North pole has never been weaker and thinner than in this year. The whole sea route, the Passage North, is currently ice-free. In order to meet multi-year thick ice, would have to go to the Arktika zones to the North of Canada, Alaska and Greenland. But there’s no time, already in December, the Arktika will hold the regular service, and the sea route to Murmansk free. In the previous testing, there was also a glitch, one of the three engines has failed and must be replaced in the next summer.
The four other ships of this class hot Sibir, Ural, Yakutiya and Chukotka. You will be expected to begin operations by 2021 to 2027. You should keep the sea route from Murmansk to Vladivostok throughout the year, free. The keep Open the sea route is one of the major strategic projects of Moscow – in a way, the smaller version of the Chinese silk road Initiative. In the Arctic ocean icebreaker apply to Railways as a car, where military and civilian traffic.
The Arctic has Oil and gas reserves, which correspond to 412 billion barrels of Oil, estimates the U.S. Geological Survey. Here, Russia is one of the winners of the climate change, global warming makes the ship traffic in the North is possible. The sea-Passage North of Russia to Europe is from many Parts of Asia, significantly shorter than the southern routes. Moscow hopes, a part of world trade on the North-Passage to deflect, but the Passage must be kept free of ice. “Without a modern nuclear icebreaker fleet, it is impossible to imagine the development of the North of present route,” said Vyacheslav Ruksha, Director for the North sea route in Rosatom. The tensions between China and the United States should increase in the South China sea, is the route to the North even more attractive. It runs solely in a territory under Russia’s supervision, and the Kremlin has trade relations never under political disagreements suffering.
In addition, Moscow also wants to export this sea is continuously liquefied natural gas by Tanker from the Northern oil fields. (Read more about this: Russian Tanker record-breaking drive completed through the ice) In addition to the icebreakers, the company is building a fleet of eisfesten guest anchors. The trade with liquefied natural gas is a worldwide growth market, since Gas environmental burn-friendly than Oil and coal. With the tankers Moscow Gas export from fields that are not connected to a pipeline system and customers all over the world supply.
You can also read:
Parade in the Arctic – Putin’s handle to the North pole
Putin’s ice-fortress to dominate the Arctic
Icebreaker and warship: Russia’s power struggle for the Arctic
Moscow’s dream comes true: the Russian Tanker record-breaking drive completed through the ice
