The Soviet lighter carrier Sevmorput is a transport icebreaker equipped with a KLT-40 type nuclear power system. The ship is one of the four largest analogues designed for non-military operations with a nuclear unit. A transport worker was designed and developed in Leningrad (1978, Central Design Bureau “Balsudproekt”). By order of the government of the USSR, the ship was built in Kerch at the Gulf plant. It was laid in November 1984, launched in February 1986. The ship was officially commissioned in 1988.
History of creation
The Severmorput lighter carrier is the only vessel of the project 10081. There were ideas on the construction of a similar floating vehicle, however, the collapse of the USSR affected the closure of work at the Zaliv Design Bureau. The ship in question is intended for the transportation of various cargoes by container to the remote northern regions of the country. Maneuverability of a vessel in ice is carried out at a thickness of up to one meter.
In the first tests, the Severmorput lighter carrier was operated internationally along the route Odessa - Vietnam - Vladivostok - North Korea. It is noteworthy that this ship can work in warm waters. Subsequent operation of the vessel was carried out in the Murmansk - Dudinka - Murmansk section. In 2007, Rostekhnadzor experts verified the nuclear installation of the ship. In conclusion, it is stated that the equipment complies with regulatory requirements and ensures radiation safety.
In August of that year, the Murmansk Shipping Company announced the conversion of a container ship into a floating drilling vessel. According to the reorientation plan, for a year and a half, the reorientation of the container should be done. The main reason for this decision was the low tariff rate in the operation of lighter carriers. This plan was not destined to take place. In the winter of 2008, the conversion project was canceled, and the vessel was transferred to the jurisdiction of another operator.
Interesting Facts
In 2008 (August), the Severmorput lighter carrier was finally transferred to the Atomflot FSUE nuclear icebreaker fleet. In the autumn of next year, the Director General of the company V. Ruksha said that this vessel was without work. If the current situation continues, it will have to be dismantled. And this despite the fact that his working potential at that time was at least 15 years.
Official documentation indicates that the nuclear installation should have been finally stopped by the end of 2012, the beginning of 2013. Already in June 2013, the ship’s nuclear power unit was completely muffled. The ups and downs with the boat under consideration do not end there. According to the decree of the Director General of Rosatom S. Kiriyenko, at the end of 2013, work began on the restoration of the Severmorput nuclear-powered lighter carrier. The plans: the resumption of the operation of a nuclear installation, the purchase and loading of appropriate fuel. The planned date of putting the vessel into full operation is March 2016. The main task of the ship for the future is the development and development of the shelf of the Pavlovsk ore deposit. According to the Director General, the ship will be in demand, since there are no analogues.
Update
The completion of the ship involved the replacement of parts of equipment and engineering elements. The renewed Sevmorput is a lighter carrier that was to be equipped with two additional cranes, a new wastewater treatment system, more advanced pipelines and pumping units. In addition, a modern radar station has appeared. The cost of modernization at that time amounted to more than 55 million rubles.
In November 2015, the ship returned to Murmansk. In May 2016, the upgraded ship launched its first voyage, which ran to Kotelny Island. On board the container ship were building materials and food. At the last moment, the Sevmorput icebreaker lighter carrier is the only active model in its class to use a nuclear power plant as an engine.
Specifications
Below are the main parameters of the technical plan of the ship in question:
- Manufacturer - Kerch Shipyard.
- Year of release - 1988.
- Displacement - 61.8 thousand tons.
- Length / width / height - 260/32/18 meters.
- Draft - 1180 mm.
- The power unit is the GTZA-684 OM5 nuclear installation.
- Power indicator - 39.4 thousand horsepower.
- Management - an adjustable screw with four blades.
- The speed limit is 21 knots per hour.
- Carrying capacity - 74 lighters or 126 20-foot containers.
Description
The nuclear icebreaker lighter carrier “Sevmorput” is a non-self-propelled marine vessel that is designed to transport various types of cargo. At the same time, their processing is ensured even in the absence of berths, cargo handling operations are carried out, in the case of impossibility of vessels entering the port due to heavy draft.
The ship in question has a mass of about 300 tons, thanks to a completely sealed hull it can be in the water independently, like a barge. Low draft allows you to pull the vehicle as close to shore as possible with a suitable tugboat.
The uniqueness of the vessel lies in the possibility of its operation without the presence of deep-sea marinas. This allows you to deliver goods to places that are completely not equipped for such purposes. The holds and decks of the ship make it possible to transport up to 74 containers, which are stacked with a special crane in two rows. Using specific captures, the loading device fixes lighters rigidly. The launch of the cargo into the water is carried out through the stern. If necessary, unloading can be carried out without stopping the vessel.
Powertrain
Lighter carrier “Sevmorput”, the photo of which is presented above, is equipped with a power plant, which allows an unlimited period of time on the way. The main atomic unit produces steam, and that sets the turbine in motion. A diesel engine acts as a backup engine, heating the boiler and issuing about 50 tons of steam per hour.
The container ship is equipped with three turbine generators with a capacity of 1700 kW, as well as five emergency analogues, the total force of which is 1400 kW. The ship has a propeller with an adjustable pitch, which allows it to be protected from damage when the blades hit large ice floes. In addition, a nuclear incinerator provides a device for burning waste, the productivity of which is 50 kilograms per hour. There is also a system for cleaning and disinfection of sea ice, which provides an autonomous stay for crew members. The team is provided with a sauna, a swimming pool, a gym, and separate cabins.
Modern history
The Sevmorput lighter carrier, the characteristics of which are given above, is the only transport vessel in the world equipped with a nuclear installation. The container ship spent a lot of time in the parking lot (from 2007 to 2013). However, the ship was not written off, but successfully completed sea trials after a two-year repair. After finalizing the decks and cabins, it is planned to determine the usual operating mode for the nuclear-powered submarine. According to domestic and foreign experts, Sevmorput is a real breakthrough of the 21st century.
The ship was built in 1988, it is able to provide almost all the northern delivery in the Russian Arctic. Now the transport lighter carrier is ready to go on polar expeditions, while its resource will be at least 15 years.
In conclusion
The civilian use of lighter carriers began to develop actively in the 70s of the last century. This is due to the intensification of the development of the polar latitudes, as well as the delivery of humanitarian aid to countries in need. The main reason for the decline in the operation of such ships was the collapse of the USSR and the lack of centralized supply. Military bases were disbanded, and cartographic surveys of remote northern territories were discontinued. It should be noted that over the entire history of the service, the Sevmorput nuclear powered lighter carrier transported more than one and a half million tons of cargo.