Leonid Bolshov, Director of Nuclear Safety Institute of RAS

– We must build new nuclear icebreakers so as to ensure our presence in the Arctic region

Day of Nuclear Icebreaking Fleet was marked in Murmansk on Dec 3 2008. 49 years ago, on Dec 3, the world’s first nuclear icebreaker “Lenin” hoisted a national flag. Nine nuclear icebreakers of three generations and the world’s only nuclear powered lighter-aboard container carrier “Sevmorput” have been built in our country since then. Our nuclear icebreaking fleet is unique: no single country in the world has such capacities of work in icy area.

Our nuclear icebreaking fleet is a guarantee of our presence in the northern seas. The presence of Northern Sea Route as a year-around artery for transportation of raw materials and equipment is a pledge of successful development of the northern territories of Russia, our invaluable treasure. Without icebreaking fleet we will not be able to develop this area. So, if we want to ensure our presence in the Arctic region we must build new nuclear icebreakers.

The primary task of Rosatom is to dispose of the icebreakers whose lives cannot be prolonged any more. We need a special program similar to the program to dispose of nuclear submarines. The second task is engineering and construction of new generation of icebreakers. This will be the basis of the relevant long-term (over-15-year) program to be drafted by Rosatom on the prime minister’s instruction. According to this plan, Russia will launch 3–4 such projects a year.
 
The placement of the fleet under the management of Rosatom, the support of the Government – all this inspires hope that the above plans will be fulfilled.