Baltiysky Zavod shipyard (United Shipbuilding Corporation) is going to deliver the 25MW icebreaker Victor Chernomyrdin (LK-25, Project 22600) in late 2017 – early 2018, IAA PortNews correspondent cites USC President Aleksei Rakhmanov, as saying at the ceremony of launching the Arktika, lead nuclear-powered icebreaker of Project 22220, held on June 16, 2016 in Saint-Petersburg.
“It won’t be possible to deliver the LK-25 this year as there is too much work to do. There are still problems caused by a big difference in exchange rates which is essential for imported equipment. We continue discussing and handling this problem with the Ministry of Transport. Meanwhile, we continue building the icebreaker without the final decision”, explained Aleksei Rakhmanov.
According to USC President, the ship will cost RUB 1.5 bln more due to rouble devaluation.
Icebreaker of project 22600 is a powerful diesel-electric icebreaker (25 MW) with a wide range of functional capabilities. It is being built under the programme on renovation of the national icebreaking fleet. The icebreaker of named Victor Chernomyrdin was laid down in Saint-Petersburg on October 10, 2012.
The ship is to be used as an auxiliary vessel for escorting convoys in challenging ice conditions at the Northern Sea Route or for independent assistance to vessels in shallow Arctic areas, and in estuaries of rivers, for helping to unload cargo on land-fast ice, for towing ships and other floating constructions in ice and in plain water, for expeditor voyages, firefighting at vessels and oil-extracting platforms.