On December 5, Russia's nuclear agency Rosatom announced a new type of reactor for the Chukotka icebreaker, which is part of Moscow's plan to develop the Northern Sea Route connecting Asia and Europe.
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| A part of the RITM-200 reactor is being transported to the Baltic nuclear power plant area. (Source: The Moscow Times) |
At the presentation ceremony in Podolsk, Vladislav Paikov, deputy director of ZiO-Podolsk, a technical division of Rosatom, said that the RITM-200 reactor is the newest reactor and is part of the energy system of a modern icebreaker.
According to Mr. Paikov, this type of reactor is “lighter, more compact and much more powerful than previous similar reactors”.
Meanwhile, Maxim Kulinko, Deputy General Director of the Northern Sea Route Company of the state corporation Rosatom, said that the Chukotka icebreaker will be ready to use this reactor by 2026.
Moscow hopes that the development of the Northern Sea Route, helped by melting ice, will allow it to divert hydrocarbons to Asia amid Western sanctions.
Nuclear icebreakers are more suitable for the Northern Sea Route than diesel-powered vessels because of their limited power requirements and refueling capabilities.
Russia is currently the country that owns the only nuclear icebreaker fleet in the world .
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