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Russia’s massive nuclear-powered icebreaker to seek oil reserves in Arctic

Russia to dominate Arctic Ocean with world’s largest nuclear-powered icebreaker The 586-foot ship will help Russia uncover massive oil reserves Market Watch By JURICA DUJMOVIC, 23 June 16,  Russia is the only country to use nuclear-powered icebreakers.
There are six of these ships in active service, with the seventh and largest, named Arktika, soon to be deployed. On June 16, the hull of the ship was floated out of the Baltic Shipyard in St. Petersburg, nearly three years after the keel had been laid……..

Arktika is just one icebreaker in a class known as Project 22220. The other two — Sibir, which was laid down in May 2015, and Ural — are also planned. If completed, Sibir will reportedly have the propulsion power of 110 MW, almost twice as powerful as Arktika. Both ships are part of a $1.2 billion contract that Baltic Shipyards signed in 2014 with Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corp.

Arktika will join the Russian atomic fleet, Rosatom flot, in 2017…….

Why would Russia need nuclear-powered icebreakers in the first place? Obviously, for defense. Icebreakers can clear a path for military ships, allowing for increased mobility and range for the Russian naval fleet.

They’re also used for escorting merchant ships, especially tankers and container ships. Still, there’s one much more important reason why you’d want one of these ships in your arsenal. You see, the Arctic north end of Russia is believed to hold a quarter of the world’s oil deposits, as well as natural gas and other minerals……….http://www.marketwatch.com/story/russia-to-dominate-arctic-ocean-with-worlds-largest-nuclear-powered-icebreaker-2016-06-23

June 24, 2016 - Posted by | ARCTIC, Russia, technology

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