Vyborg Delivers Murmansk Icebreaker

Russian shipbuilder Vyborg Shipyard PJSC, a corporate member of the United Shipbuilding Corporation, has delivered the newly-built icebreaker Murmansk, project 21900 М.

The icebreaker was built by Vyborg Shipyard PJSC in collaboration with Arctech Helsinki Shipyard, by order of Federal Agency of Maritime and River Transport of Russian Federation.

Under the terms of contract signed in 2012, Vyborg Shipyard PJSC was hired to design and construct a series of linear diesel-electric icebreakers, project 21900 М. The lead cebreaker Vladivostok was delivered to the customer in October, 2015.

“Icebreakers of the 21900 М project will ensure winter navigation in the Baltic Sea, to a certain extent in the Arctic, pursue tasks set forth by FSUE Rosmorport and the Government of the Russian Federation. I wish fair wind and full sails to icebreaker Murmansk as well as accident-free navigation to its crew,” said Alexander Solovyev, Vyborg Shipyard PJSC General Director.

“As a classification society, Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS) contributes actively to the implementation of the programme for the icebreaker fleet construction in Russia. The ships of the project 21900 М present a new generation of diesel-electric icebreakers. They are of high performance and consider the operating experience of icebreakers as per the previous projects while providing icebreaker assistance in winter navigation period in the Gulf of Finland,” comments Konstantin Palnikov, Director General of Russian Maritime Register of Shipping.

The ship is designed to break ice up to 1.5 m thick. The vessel is intended for independent ice escorting of heavy-tonnage vessels; towage, fire fighting on floating and other facilities; salvage and assistance to distressed vessels; transportation of effective cargoes.

The third icebreaker in the series – Novorossiysk – will be delivered to the customer at the turn of 2016.