Новый атомный ледокол «Чукотка» получил блок защитной оболочки центрального отсека

Specialists at the Baltic Shipyard continue to work on the nuclear icebreaker of Project 22220 "Chukotka" under construction. They loaded a protective shell block weighing 220 tons onto the vessel for the central compartment, using four gantry cranes.

Image source Telegram-channel «Baltic Shipyard: On the wave of events»

The structure has eight sections, including biological protection blocks made of stainless steel sheets, concrete, lead, and other special materials. They ensure the safe operation of the reactor, protecting the crew from the effects of ionizing radiation.

The nuclear icebreaker "Chukotka" is the fifth vessel of Project 22220, which is being built at the Baltic Shipyard by order of the state corporation "Rosatom". The vessel was laid down at the enterprise in December 2020, and its delivery to the customer is scheduled for the end of 2026. "Chukotka" will be launched before the end of 2024.

Nuclear icebreakers of Project 22220 are considered the largest and most powerful icebreaking vessels in the world. They provide year-round navigation both in the western Arctic region and on the rivers of the Arctic region.

Main characteristics of nuclear icebreakers of Project 22220:

length — 174 m;
width — 34 m;
draft — 10.5/9.3 m;
power — 60 MW (on shafts);
reactor unit «RITM-200»;
displacement — 33.54 thousand tons;
estimated service life — 40 years;
crew size — 54 people.

FSUE "Atomflot" (part of the state corporation "Rosatom") is the official customer of nuclear icebreakers of Project 22220. The nuclear-powered ships "Arktika", "Sibir" and "Ural" have already been handed over to the customer. The icebreakers "Yakutia" and "Chukotka" are at different stages of construction, and the nuclear-powered ship "Leningrad" was laid down at the beginning of 2024 as the last in this series.