Rosatomflot’s third nuclear icebreaker to serve NSR launched

Russia’s Rosatomflot launched its third nuclear-powered icebreaker that will serve the Northern Sea Route enabling year-round LNG deliveries to the Asian markets. 

The vessel, named Ural, was launched at the Baltic Shipyard over the weekend. According to the statement by the shipyard, like its sister vessels launched previously, Arktika and Sibir, Ural is among the most powerful icebreakers in the world.

Rosatomflot’s managing director, Alexei Likhachev said that the icebreaking fleet in the Arctic is growing and that by the end of August the company expects to conclude deals for the construction of two more icebreakers.

Speaking at the launching, Rosatomflot’s deputy director Vyacheslav Ruksha, said, it is impossible to develop the Northern Sea Route without a modern nuclear icebreaking fleet.

Russia’s largest independent natural gas producer Novatek shipped first LNG from its Yamal liquefied natural project via the Northern Sea Route at the end of June last year using its Arctic LNG carriers chartered to serve the project.

The deployment of the nuclear icebreakers is set to open the Northern Sea Route for all-year transits by the LNG carriers, that so far have delivered Yamal LNG cargoes to designated Europen ports and terminals for transshipment and further delivery on conventional tankers.