VLADIVOSTOK. Sept 3 (Interfax) - The cost of building another two nuclear icebreakers of Project 22220 (the fifth and sixth serial icebreakers) is estimated at 120 billion rubles, deputy head of Rosatom's Northern Sea Route Directorate Maxim Kulinko told reporters.
"We estimate the cost of two icebreakers at roughly 120 billion rubles," Kulinko said.
"We did the calculations on prices of relevant years, but clearly, the estimates might still be adjusted, because our preliminary price is 118 billion [rubles], but I tentatively say now it will approximately stand at 120 [billion rubles], considering that these are serial icebreakers," Kulinko said in response to a question whether the risk of higher metal and building material prices has been taken into account.
"The Rosatom state corporation and the Finance Ministry are discussing the possible construction of another two icebreakers at the expense of the federal budget," he said.
"We're hoping that, if all those decisions are made, the Baltic Plant (a member of United Shipbuilding Corporation Group operating in St. Petersburg) will be the most likely manufacturer, given the competences it acquired while building the lead and serial icebreakers," Kulinko said.
The construction of two additional icebreakers will provide infrastructural support for regular transit along the Northern Sea Route, Kulinko said. "Of course, we believe that the construction of two additional icebreakers should be supported by the government. It will help reduce the cost of icebreaker services in the future," he said.
The lead universal nuclear icebreaker Arktika of Project 22220 joined the Russian nuclear-powered fleet in October 2020. It was built by the Baltic Plant on the orders of the Rosatom state corporation.
The contract for building the first and second serial icebreakers of Project 22220 (the Sibir and the Ural) was signed by the plant and the state corporation in May 2014. The contract had a value of 84.4 billion rubles.
In August 2019, the Atomflot federal state unitary enterprise and the Baltic Plant signed a contract for building the third and fourth serial icebreakers (the Yakutia and the Chukotka). Their cost will exceed 100 billion rubles.
Project 22220 icebreakers are designed to escort ships in the Arctic, the Yenisei River, and the Ob Inlet, to tow ships and other floating structures through ice and clean waters, and to accomplish other missions. The icebreakers have a length of 173.3 meters, a beam of 34 meters, a powerplant capacity of 60MW, and a maximum icebreaking capability of 2.8 meters.