The solemn ceremony of laying the keel of the shallow-draft icebreaker of 22740M project of FSUE “Rosmorport” took place on November 15 at the Onega Shipyard in attendance of Mikhail Mishustin, Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation. The event was broadcast via video conference at the FSUE “Rosmorport” exposition during the XVII International Exhibition “Transport of Russia”.

The new-generation shallow-draft icebreaker is the second vessel of the series being built by FSUE “Rosmorport” order at the Onega Shipyard. The laying of the main icebreaker took place in May 2023. The vessels of this project are currently the most powerful icebreakers in Russia with a shallow draft (3.2 m). They will have a screw capacity of 6 MW and an Icebreaker6 ice class. For comparison, the shallow-draft icebreakers of 1105 project, built in Finland, which are currently operated by FSUE “Rosmorport”, have a screw capacity of about 4.6 MW.

Mikhail Mishustin, Vitaly Saveliev, Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation, and Sergey Pylin, General Director of FSUE “Rosmorport”, took part in the ceremony at the exhibition exposition of FSUE “Rosmorport”. The shipyard was attended by Artur Parfenchikov, Head of the Republic of Karelia, Elissan Shandalovich, Chairman of the Legislative Assembly of the Republic of Karelia, Dmitry Rodionov, member of the Government of the Republic of Karelia – Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Issues of the Government of the Republic of Karelia, Vladimir Maizus, Director of the Onega Shipyard, and other honored guests.

Sergey Pylin made a welcoming speech, reporting to Prime Minister on the readiness to start the ceremony of laying the new icebreaker:

“Today we are witnessing a significant event of laying the keel of a new-generation shallow-draft icebreaker of 22740M project. I would like to emphasize that these are the first icebreakers at the Onega Shipyard, and they will be built using digital construction support technologies implemented at the shipyard. On behalf of FSUE “Rosmorport”, I express my gratitude to the management and staff of the shipyard that launched 19 innovative vessels, now successfully operating as part of the FSUE “Rosmorport” service and auxiliary fleet. I am confident in the successful implementation of the new project,” General Director of the enterprise said.

“Dear friends, I would like to welcome you all and thank you for many years of professional work,” Mikhail Mishustin addressed the participants of the ceremony. He stressed that the laying of the new icebreaker is an important project for restoring the capabilities of the Onega Shipyard.

“This is very important for Karelia, for shipbuilders. Laying a shallow-draft icebreaker of a special class will help, among other things, to assist convoys of vessels in the Volga-Caspian basin,” Prime Minister concluded, giving a command to start laying the new icebreaker. By tradition, a plaque was installed on the initial section of the vessel.

The vessel will be used during navigation in the Sea of Azov, on the Volga-Caspian Sea Shipping Canal, inland waterways, as well as in other marine basins, if necessary. The features of the icebreaker will be high maneuverability and controllability, as well as increased icebreaking capacity due to the installation of a pneumatic hull washing system – previously such systems were installed only on large icebreakers.

The icebreaker will be equipped to assist vessels and perform rescue operations in ice conditions and on clean water, a helicopter pad for an unmanned aircraft complex using a helicopter-type aircraft for ice reconnaissance and search and rescue operations. It can be used to transport general cargo in twenty-foot containers on the aft working deck.

Main technical characteristics of the vessel

Class of the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping:	КМ  Icebreaker6 [2] AUT1-ICS OMBO FF3WS EPP ECO
Maximum length:	78.1 m
Maximum width:	16.8 m
Maximum draft:	3.2 m
Fuel autonomy:	15 days
Maximum speed on clean water:	14 knots
Icebreaking capability:	movement in a solid ice field up to 1 m thick
Crew:	12 people
Special staff:	12 people