Life of Vaigach icebreaker’s reactor plant extended to 200,000 hours (photo)

FSUE Atomflot has completed the works to extend the life of reactor plant of the nuclear-powered icebreaker Vaigach from 175,000 hours to 200,000 hours. PR Department of Rosatomflot says the service life of the icebreaker is extended by five years till 2022.

“Taking into consideration the growing scope of work in the water area of the Northern Sea Route, it is necessary to ensure technological availability of four nuclear-powered icebreakers, from 2019 – five icebreakers, - says Mustafa Kashka, First Deputy Director General and Chief Engineer at FSUE Atomflot. – It should be noted that systematic work on extending the life of reactor plants has been underway from 90-ies.”

Nuclear-powered icebreaker Arktika is a bright example with its life extended to 177,000 hours.

The work on extension of the Vaigach life has been carried out with the involvement of the Afrikantov Experimental Design Bureau for Mechanical Engineering (OKBM Afrikantov), leading designer of reactor plants. Its specialists head the consortium of enterprises (Iceberg, SKBK, CKBM and other design bureaus) involved in R&D activities and feasibility studies for extension of the reactor plants’ life.

Initially, reactor plant of nuclear-powered icebreaker Vaigach was 100,000 hours.

The experience and expertise of Rosatomflot and OKBM Afrikantov specialists has allowed to almost double the service life of the icebreaker.

The work to extend the life of reactor plant of nuclear-powered icebreaker Taimyr (to 200,000 hours) is underway.  This work is to be completed by the end of 2017.

It should be noted, that implementation of the programme on extension of reactor plants’ life lets Atomflot escape an “ice pause” and ensures smooth transition to operation of nuclear-powered icebreakers of Project 22220 with strict observance of contractual obligations.