Diesel-electric 25 MW icebreaker of project 22600 named Victor Chernomyrdin was delivered to the customer, FSUE Rosmorport on 3 November 2020 in the presence of Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to the official website of the Kremlin, the President of Russia attended the flag raising ceremony.
The ceremony was held in the passenger port of Saint-Petersburg, Marine Façade. It was attended by RF Minister of Transport Yevgeny Ditrikh, Saint-Petersburg Governor Aleksandr Beglov, Rosmorport General Director Andrey Lavrishchev and Vitaly Chernomyrdin, son of the Ex-Prime Minister.
Viktor Chernomyrdin, Ex-Prime Minister and Acting President of Russia, Russian Ambassador to Ukraine passed away exactly 10 years ago, on 3 November 2010.
“Today we are attending a very pleasant and important event, actually a landmark event. The national flag of the Russian Federation has just been raised on a new open sea diesel-electric icebreaker, the world’s largest and most powerful icebreaker of this class, which was named after our outstanding compatriot, Viktor Chernomyrdin.
Today we are commemorating this great person…It can be said without exaggeration that he was a statesman and a politician on a history-making scale, a bright and strong man, a hard worker and a creative person. He never shied away from responsibility and did a good job, serving the nation in everything he did.
It should be said that is was largely thanks to his balanced and far-sighted approach and his sound stewardship that the human and technological potential of our industry, the fuel and energy sector and other industrial sectors were maintained in the extremely difficult period of the 1990s.
It is therefore symbolic that this modern and well-equipped icebreaker, which was named after him, was built by Russian shipbuilders at Russian shipyards. I would like to use this occasion to once again express our gratitude to all those who contributed to building it”, Vladimir Putin said during the ceremony.
The President added that this leadership must be consolidated “all the time and every day, by building up our position, strengthening and renewing our fleet and implementing new technology in the construction of icebreakers and other ice-class vessels”.
“Work is already underway on several series of diesel and nuclear-powered icebreakers, which are unmatched in the world. The future belongs to them, and I am confident that our talented shipbuilders are ready for pioneering work, for finding and implementing daring technical solutions, and I know they will certainly attain all the objectives set before the country”, emphasized Vladimir Putin.
The contract for construction of Diesel-electric 25 MW icebreaker was signed in October 2011. The ship of project 22600 named Victor Chernomyrdin was laid down by Baltiysky Zavod- Sudostroyeniye in Saint-Petersburg on 10 October 2012 and launched on 30 December 2016 although initially the launching was scheduled for summer 2014.
In late 2019 USC said postponed the delivery of the ship to Rosmorport from the end of 2019 to the first quarter of 2020 due to the need to settle financial and legal issues with the customer and to obtain document from ad hoc authorities. Yet, the icebreaker was not delivered as scheduled.
According to earlier statement of USC President Aleksey Rakhmanov, the cost of the icebreaker had increased due to considerable modification of the design.
In November 2018, a fire broke out on board the icebreaker under construction covering about 300 square metres and injuring one person. USC estimated the damage at RUB 150 million.
RF Government allowed to extend the construction of the Victor Chernomyrdin icebreaker till 1 November 2020.
The acceptance/delivery certificate for the 25MW icebreaker Victor Chernomyrdin was signed by FSUE Rosmorport and Baltiysky Zavod on 30 September 2020.
The Victor Chernomyrdin is one of the most powerful diesel-electric icebreakers in the world. The ship of 22,300 tonnes in displacement can sail with a speed of about 17 knots in clear water and break through ice of up to 3 meters thick with a 20-centimetre snow cover at 2 knots in both ahead and astern directions. The icebreaker features high maneuverability. The vessel is also fitted with an air-bubbling system that reduces friction between the hull and ice. The ship’s crew – 38. Endurance - 61 days.
The vessel is intended for icebreaking assistance and towing of ships. With its special premises and laboratories for scientific equipment as well as ability to accommodate 90 special personnel it can service scientific expeditions in the Arctic and Antarctic. The icebreaker can also serve as a fire-fighting vessel.
Related link:
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Photos by Admiralteiskie Verfi and by Baltiysky Zavod
