The first icebreaker in the world appeared in the XVIII century. It was not a very large ship, capable of breaking ice in the harbor of Philadelphia. It has been a long time since the wheel was replaced by a turbine, and then a powerful nuclear reactor appeared. Today, huge nuclear-powered ships break open the Arctic ice with huge power.
What is an icebreaker?
This vessel is used in waters covered with a thick layer of ice. Nuclear-powered icebreakers are equipped with nuclear power plants, and therefore have more power than diesel engines, making it easier to conquer frozen ponds. Icebreakers have another clear advantage - they do not need refueling.
The following article presents the largest icebreaker in the world (dimensions, design, features, etc.). Also, after reading the material, you can get acquainted with the largest liners of the world of this type.
General information
It should be noted that all 10 nuclear icebreakers existing today were built and launched during the time of the USSR and Russia. The indispensability of such airliners proves the operation that occurred in 1983. At that time, about fifty vessels, including diesel icebreakers, found themselves in an ice trap in the east of the Arctic. Only thanks to the nuclear icebreaker "Arctic" they were able to free themselves from captivity and deliver important cargo to nearby settlements.
They began to build nuclear-powered ships in Russia a long time ago, because only our state and the Arctic Ocean have a long contact - the famous maritime Northern Route, whose length is 5, 600 kilometers. It starts at the Kara Gates, and ends at Providence Bay.
There is one interesting point: icebreakers are specially painted in dark red so that they are clearly visible in the ice.
The following article presents the largest icebreakers in the world (top 10).
Icebreaker "Arctic"
One of the largest icebreakers, the Arktika nuclear submarine, went down in history as the first surface ship to reach the North Pole. In 1982-1986, he was called "Leonid Brezhnev." Its laying took place in Leningrad, at the Baltic Plant, in July 1971. More than 400 enterprises and associations, design and research scientific and other organizations took part in its creation.
The icebreaker was launched into the water at the end of 1972. The purpose of the ship is the pilotage of vessels in the Arctic Ocean.
The length of the nuclear-powered ship is 148 meters, and the side is approximately 17 meters high. Its width is 30 meters. The capacity of a steam generating nuclear installation is more than 55 megawatts. The technical characteristics of the vessel made it possible to break through ice having a thickness of 5 meters, and its speed in pure water developed up to 18 knots.
10 largest icebreakers in the world
Below are 10 of the largest (in length) modern icebreakers around the world:
1. Sevmorput is an icebreaking transport vessel. Its length is 260 meters, the height corresponds to the size of a multi-storey building. The vessel is able to go through an ice thickness of 1 meter.
2. “Arctic” - the largest nuclear icebreaker with a length of 173 meters. It was launched in 2016 and represents the first nuclear icebreaker in the Russian Federation. Able to crack ice up to 3 meters thick.
3. "50 years of Victory" - the nuclear-powered icebreaker (the largest in the world) of the "Arctic" class, characterized by impressive power and deep landing. Its length is 159.6 meters.
4. “Taimyr” - an atomic river icebreaker breaking ice in river mouths up to 1.7 meters thick. Its length is 151.8 meters. The peculiarity of the vessel is a reduced landing and the ability to work at low extreme temperatures.
5. “Vaigach” - built on the same project with “Taimyr” (but it is slightly younger). Nuclear equipment was installed on the ship in 1990. Its length is 151.8 m.
6. Yamal - famous for the fact that it was on this icebreaker that the meeting of the beginning of the third millennium at the North Pole took place. The total number of nuclear-powered ship trips to this point was almost 50. Its length is 150 meters.
7. Healy - the largest icebreaker in the United States. In 2015, for the first time, Americans were able to travel to the North Pole. The research vessel is equipped with the latest laboratory and measuring equipment. Its length is 128 meters.
8. PolarSea - one of the oldest icebreakers in the United States of America, built in 1977. Seattle - home port. The length of the vessel is 122 meters. Perhaps due to old age it will soon be written off.
9. Louis S. St-Laurent - the largest icebreaker built in Canada (120 meters long) in 1969 and underwent a complete modernization in 1993. This is the first ship in the world to reach the North Pole in 1994.
10. Polarstern - a nuclear-powered ship of Germany, built in 1982 and intended for scientific research. The oldest ship is 118 meters long. In 2017, the Polarstern-II will be built, which will replace its predecessor and take a shift in the Arctic.
The largest icebreaker in the world: photo, description, purpose
“50 years of Victory” is a more modernized experimental project of the 2nd series of icebreakers of the “Arctic” type. On this vessel, the shape of the nasal tip in the form of a spoon is used. It was first used in the development of the experimental Kenmar Kigoriyak (icebreaker, Canada) in 1979 and convincingly proved its effectiveness.
It is the largest and most powerful atomic icebreaker in the world, equipped with a modern digital automatic control system. He also has an upgraded set of tools for the biological protection of a nuclear power plant. It is equipped with an ecological compartment equipped with the latest modern equipment that collects and utilizes the vital products of personnel on board the vessel.
The icebreaker "50 Years of Victory" is not only engaged in the release of other vessels from ice captivity, it is also focused on the implementation of tourist cruises. Of course, there are no passenger cabins on the ship, so tourists are accommodated in ordinary cabins of the ship. However, the ship’s side is equipped with a restaurant, sauna, pool and gym.
A brief story about the ship
The largest icebreaker in the world - “50 years of Victory”. It was designed in Leningrad, at the Baltic Plant, in 1989, and after 4 years it was built and first launched. However, its construction did not end in connection with financial turmoil. Only in 2003, its construction was resumed, and in February 2007 tests began in the Gulf of Finland. Murmansk became the port of his home registry.
Despite the long start, today there are more than a hundred trips to the North Pole behind the ship.
The most powerful and largest icebreaker, 50 Years of Victory, is the 8th nuclear-powered icebreaker designed and built at the Baltic Shipyard.
"Siberia"
At one time, the Soviet Union was unparalleled in the construction of nuclear icebreakers. In those days, there were no such ships anywhere in the world, while the USSR had 7 atomic icebreakers. For example, Siberia is a ship that has become a direct continuation of nuclear installations of the Arctic type.
The ship was equipped with a satellite communications system responsible for fax, navigation and telephone communications. It also had all the amenities: a lounge, swimming pool, sauna, library, training room and a huge dining room.
The icebreaker "Siberia" went down in history as the first ship to make year-round navigation from Murmansk to Dudinka. In addition, he is the second ship to reach the top of the planet at the North Pole.
In 1977 (the moment the icebreaker was commissioned) it had the largest dimensions: 29.9 meters - width, 147.9 meters - length. In those days, he was the largest icebreaker in the world.
The value of icebreakers
The importance of such vessels in the near future will only grow, because in the long term many measures are planned for the active development of natural resources under the bottom of the great Arctic Ocean.
In certain sections, navigation on the Northern Sea Route lasts only 2-4 months, because all the rest of the time, all water is covered with ice up to 3 meters thick or more. In order not to risk the ship and crew, as well as in order to save fuel, airplanes and helicopters are sent from icebreakers to conduct reconnaissance in search of an easier way.
The largest icebreakers in the world have an important feature - they can autonomously ply the Arctic Ocean for a year, breaking the bow of an unusual form of ice up to 3 meters thick.
