Moscow– The manufacturing facility of Rosatom’s Mechanical Engineering Division in Podolsk has completed the manufacturing of the second vessel of the RITM-200 reactor intended for the new generation icebreaker Chukotka. This is the last reactor that the company is manufacturing under the valid contract for the supply of power units for the new generation nuclear-powered ships. After having been prepared for transportation, the reactor will be delivered to the Baltic Plant.
Thus, the division’s companies actually play the role of a “conveyor belt” manufacturing ship reactors intended for the new generation of Russian icebreakers, while no other company in the world has similar experience.
“RITM-200 reactors have proven themselves on board our new universal nuclear icebreakers, which has made navigation on the Northern Sea Route more efficient. Similar reactors will also be installed on board the fifth and sixth serial universal nuclear icebreakers to be built in accordance with the decision already made by the Government of the Russian Federation. In future, these reactors will be the “heart” of floating nuclear power plants, which will supply energy to the Baimsk ore zone in Chukotka, as well as of the land-based nuclear power plant in Yakutia,” said Alexey Likhachev, Rosatom Director General.
“RITM-200 is the most modern ship reactor unit with the highest performance in the world. Several companies of the Mechanical Engineering Division were involved in its creation process. As a result, the icebreakers have higher speed and ice-breaking capacity, which are important characteristics for the ships given the increasing cargo traffic. The accumulated references will allow us to cope with other tasks set in the area of the Russian Arсtic development,” said Igor Kotov, Head of the Mechanical Engineering Division.
Background
Afrikantov OKBM, JSC, is the designer, complete supplier and manufacturer of the RITM-200 reactor unit internals. ZIO-Podolsk, JSC, is responsible for the reactor vessel manufacturing and trial assembly.
The power units intended for universal nuclear icebreakers consist of two RITM-200 reactors with a power of 175 MW each. The first of the two RITM-200 reactors to be installed on board the icebreaker Chukotka was already delivered to the shipyard at the end of October.
In total, since 2012, the company has manufactured 10 reactors for universal nuclear icebreakers Arktika, Sibir, Ural, Yakutia and Chukotka. The first three have already been put into operation and successfully fulfil their functions escorting convoys of ships in the western part of the Arctic.
Under implementation, there are the construction projects for various modifications of reactors of the RITM type, which are to be used not only as power units on board icebreakers, but also to ensure the operation of both small land-based and floating nuclear power plants.
The icebreaker Chukotka with a capacity of 60 MW is the fourth serial universal nuclear icebreaker of project 22220 being built by Rosatom’s order at the Baltic Plant in St. Petersburg. The vessel’s keel laying ceremony took place in December 2020, while its commissioning is scheduled for 2026. The nuclear-powered icebreaker will operate in the western part of the Arctic including the Barents, Pechora and Kara seas, as well as in shallower waters of the Yenisei mouth and the Ob Bay area.
Rosatom’s Mechanical Engineering Division is the largest Russian power engineering holding in terms of its output and revenue. The division is a complete supplier of reactor island and turbine room equipment for all Russian-design NPPs under construction, manufacturer of equipment for LNG projects, developer and supplier of integrated solutions for energy companies, the oil and gas sector and other industries.
The development of the Northern Sea Route as one of the most important logistics corridors is a national strategic priority. To increase the NSR traffic is of paramount importance for the fulfilment of the tasks set in the field of comprehensive development of the Russian Arсtic. The development of this corridor is due to the organization of cargo shipping on a regular basis, construction of new nuclear icebreakers and modernization of the relevant infrastructure. Rosatom companies are actively involved in this work. www.aem-group.ru
