On May 23, the universal nuclear icebreaker Sibir of Atomflot FSUE completed flood control work on the Yenisei River. The crew of the nuclear-powered ship had a task to make additional ice channels and cuts in the riverbed to prevent possible ice jams.

“For the first time, the universal nuclear icebreaker of project 22220 was used for these types of work,” said Leonid Irlitsa, Acting Director General of Atomflot FSUE. “The crew of the nuclear-powered ship had to make cuts in the main channel of the Yenisei River in the area of ??the Luzinsky, Nikitinsky and Funtusovsky Islands, as well as destroy the ice road connecting the left and right banks of the Yenisei River. The thickness of the ice road reached two meters. The technical capabilities of the icebreaker, the experience of the crew and the recommendations of the Marine Operations Headquarters of GlavSevmorput FGBU ensured the effective solution to this problem.”

The anti-jamming measures have been taken since May 22 at the request of the administration of the Taimyrsky Dolgano-Nenetsky municipal district of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. According to hydrometeorologists, ice drift on the Yenisei is expected with a rupture wave and jam.

On the Yenisei, the technique of anti-jamming operations with the use of nuclear-powered icebreakers of the Taimyr type has been proven for years. The first thing is the close of the port of Dudinka. After that, all ships are removed from the river. When the water level reaches 7.5-8 meters, the nuclear-powered icebreaker starts making additional channels and cuts with the destruction of the snow-ice road. These works allow avoiding ice jams and water rise above the dangerous levels.

Background

The comprehensive development of the Russian Arctic is a national strategic priority. To increase the traffic along the NSR is of paramount importance for solving the tasks set for transportation and delivery of goods. This logistics corridor development is ensured with the organization of regular cargo transportation, construction of new nuclear-powered icebreakers and modernization of the relevant infrastructure (including the rescue one). Rosatom companies take an active part in this work.

In 2018, Rosatom was appointed as an operator of the Northern Sea Route infrastructure and since that time it has been in charge of the NSR navigation organization, infrastructure facilities construction, navigation and hydrographic support, as well as the navigation safety system in harsh Arctic environment.