World's most powerful diesel-engine icebreaker makes maiden voyage in Arctic ice

The 147 meter long vessel that is designed for Arctic operations has made its first voyage into far northern Yenisey Bay, Russian state ship operator Rosatomflot informs.

The powerful ship escorted cargo carrier Ioann Makhmastal to the icy bay where it encountered nuclear icebreaker Ural. The Ural subsequently escorted the cargo ship into the Yenisey river and to the terminal of Tanalau.

The 25 MW Viktor Chernomyrdin is the most powerful conventional icebreaker in the world. It was expected to be extensively employed in remote northern waters, but since its commissioning in November 2020, it has first of all broken ice in the Gulf of Finland.

In 2023, it for the first time sailed into Arctic waters for testing.

According to ship owner Rosmorport, the Viktor Chernomyrdin can provide not only icebreaker escorts, but also take part in Arctic research expeditions, transport containers and cargo, and operate as fire extinguishing ship.

The powerful diesel-engined machinery enables the ship crew to stay autonomously at sea for up to 60 days.

It took the Baltic Yard in St.Petersburg more than eight years to complete construction, double the time of the original schedule. And the construction price quickly increased from the original estimate of 7.95 billion rubles to more than 12 billion rubles.

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The Viktor Chernomyrdin is named after Russia’s late prime minister.