Polar Silk Road (icebreaker)

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In 2018 China announced plans to build a nuclear-powered icebreaker, the Polar Silk Road.[1][2] The vessel is said to be similar to Russia's Arktika class of nuclear-powered icebreakers.[3]

Only Russia and the former Soviet Union had built nuclear-powered icebreakers. China's previous two ice-breakers, both named Xue Long, are conventionally powered.[2]

The vessel will be powered by two 25 Megawatt nuclear reactors, and is projected to cost approximately 1 billion yuan.[3]

References

  1. Trym Aleksander Eiterjord (2018-07-17). "China’s Planned Nuclear Icebreaker". The Diplomat. Archived from the original on 2021-07-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20210729153711/https://thediplomat.com/2018/07/chinas-planned-nuclear-icebreaker/. Retrieved 2021-11-13. "Arrangements for the construction of a nuclear icebreaker seem to have started in 2016 when CNNC and China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) signed a cooperation agreement on advancing the country’s civilian application of maritime nuclear power." 
  2. 2.0 2.1 Lyle J. Goldstein (2020-03-16). "China Is Building Nuclear Icebreakers To Seek Out A "Polar Silk Road"". National Interest. Archived from the original on 2021-09-21. https://web.archive.org/web/20210921040256/https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/china-building-nuclear-icebreakers-seek-out-polar-silk-road-132417. Retrieved 2021-11-13. 
  3. 3.0 3.1 Thomas Nilsen (2019-03-21). "Details of China’s nuclear-powered icebreaker revealed". Barent's Observer. Archived from the original on 2021-09-09. https://web.archive.org/web/20210909063043/https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/arctic/2019/03/details-chinas-nuclear-powered-icebreaker-revealed. Retrieved 2021-11-13. "With those specifications, China’s first nuclear-powered icebreaker will be 2 meters longer and a few thousand tons heavier than Russia’s current Arktika-class icebreakers, but somewhat smaller than Russia’s new fleet of icebreakers of the Project 22220 of which there are currently three under construction at the Baltiskiy Shipyard in St. Petersburg."