Viktor Chernomyrdin (), also known through her Russian design number Project 22600 or type size series designation LK-25,The type size series designation "LK-25" () comes from the Russian language word for "icebreaker" () and the propulsion power (25 megawatts). is a Russian icebreaker. Launched at Baltic Shipyard and outfitted at Admiralty Shipyard in Saint Petersburg, she is the largest and most powerful diesel-electric icebreaker built in Russia.
The construction of the 7.94 billion ruble icebreaker was awarded to Baltic Shipyard in December 2011. Initially expected to enter service in late 2015, the vessel was completed several years behind schedule and over budget. In 2017, it was announced that the unfinished vessel would be moved to nearby Admiralty Shipyard for outfitting in order to speed up the delivery. Due to a fire on board the vessel in November 2018 and a disagreement over the increased cost of the icebreaker, the delivery of Viktor Chernomyrdin was postponed to late 2020.
Development and construction
Background
The development of the icebreaker designated as LK-25 dates back to the first long-term plans for rebuilding the Russian icebreaker fleet after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. As part of these plans that were published in the early 1990s, a number of both conventional and nuclear-powered icebreaker icebreaker type size series were developed, ranging from 7-megawatt auxiliary icebreakers (LK-7) operating near large ports to 110-megawatt nuclear icebreakers (LK-110Ya) capable of breaking ice up to thick. Of these, the 25-megawatt line icebreakers (LK-25) were intended to escort merchant ships and lead convoys through freezing seas, and operate as auxiliary ships in complex convoys along the Northern Sea Route. During the summer season, they could also escort ships independently over shallow waters in the Arctic.
While an early LK-25 concept was presented already in the 1990s, the current design, Project 22600, was developed in 2008 by the Russian Petrobalt Design Bureau in co-operation with the Finnish Aker Arctic who had developed the hybrid propulsion configuration and carried out model-scale tests for the concept.Projects. Petrobalt Design Bureau.
Shipbuilding contract and start of construction
Following the challenging winter navigating season of 2010–2011, during which ice conditions in the Baltic Sea became so severe that Russia was forced to call in the nuclear-powered icebreaker Vaygach from Murmansk to escort ships in the eastern Gulf of Finland, the Russian government decided to include a 25-megawatt diesel-electric icebreaker to the federal program Development of the Transport System of Russia (2010–2020). On 2 December 2011, Rosmorport and St. Petersburg-based Baltic Shipyard signed a contract, worth RUB 7.94 billion of which 30% was paid in advance, for the construction of the new line icebreaker. The keel-laying ceremony, attended by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, was held on 10 October 2012. The construction of the 2,500-ton deckhouse was subcontracted to Nordic Yards in Germany.Nordic Yards to build 2,500 t deckhouse for icebreaker. MarineLog, 12 August 2013. The ship was initially expected to enter service in the Gulf of Finland in December 2015 and replace two older icebreakers, the 1974-built Ermak and the 1977-built Kapitan Sorokin.Baltic Shipyard lays down 25MW icebreaker for Rosmorport . Portnews.ru, 10 October 2012.
The new icebreaker would be named after Viktor Chernomyrdin (1938–2010), Russians turn to Germans for quality superstructure. The Motor Ship, 8 August 2013. the founder and first chairman of Gazprom and the former Prime Minister of Russia (1992–1998).
Construction suspended due to design issues
In November 2014, it was reported that the construction of the icebreaker had been suspended already in December 2013 due to problems with the design — the vessel was reportedly 2,500 tons overweight and subsequently the draft had increased by — and the delivery had been delayed by 24 to 28 months until July 2017. An expert working group established by Baltic Shipyard found discrepancies between the technical project documentation developed by Petrobalt Design Bureau and the structural drawings prepared by Iceberg Central Design Bureau, resulting in significant increase in steel weight. The shipyard then contracted another Russian company, Vympel Design Bureau, to modify the design so that the increase in draft would be limited to .Доклад о финансово - хозяйственной деятельности федерального государственного унитарного предприятия «Росморпорт» за 2014 год. The 30 million euro contract with Nordic Yards for the construction of the superstructure was also cancelled.Yard delays delivery of icebreaker . Barents Observer, 21 November 2014. «Балтийский завод» не успеет сдать вовремя ледокол для Росморпорта. РосБизнесКонсалтинг, 21 November 2014.
Russian financial crisis and international sanctions
On 26 January 2016, it was reported that an additional RUB 1 billion of funding would be required to complete the icebreaker due to the decline of the Russian ruble following the financial crisis.Госконтракты поправят на девальвацию. Kommersant, 26 January 2016. In addition, the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) was reportedly concerned about the shipyard's ability to deliver the icebreaker in 2017 due to the international sanctions against Russia.USC is concerned about the ability to deliver 25-MW diesel-electric icebreaker named Victor Chernomyrdin in 2017 amid sanctions. PortNews, 19 February 2016. More delays for world's biggest conventional icebreaker. The Independent Barents Observer, 19 February 2016. While in April 2016 a representative of the United Shipbuilding Corporation claimed that the icebreaker would be delivered "this year" and that the value of the contract had not changed,Ледокол проекта 22600 планируют передать Росморпорту в этом году. RIA.ru, 7 April 2016. next month a representative of Rosmorport stated that "2018 is a reality".Rosmorport expects the delivery of diesel-electric icebreaker LK-25 in 2018. PortNews, 17 May 2016. On 16 June, the president of the United Shipbuilding Corporation, Aleksey Rakhmanov, said that the vessel would be delivered in late 2017 or early 2018, and that the cost had increased by RUB 1.5 billion.Baltiysky Zavod to deliver 25MW icebreaker Victor Chernomyrdin (Project 22600) in late 2017 – early 2018 . PortNews.ru, 17 June 2016. On 6 December, the vice-president of the company, Yevgeny Zagorodny, extended this to the fourth quarter of 2018.USC says delivery of icebreaker Victor Chernomyrdin scheduled for QIV'18. PortNews, 6 December 2016.
Due to extensive delays, the Federal Agency of Sea and River Transport of Russia (Rosmorrechflot) considered a lawsuit against the United Shipbuilding Corporation and demanded a penalty of RUB 667 million through the Moscow Arbitration Court in June 2016.Суд рассмотрит иск к ОСК о затягивании сроков строительства ледокола «Виктор Черномырдин» 28 июля 2016 года . PortNews, 29 June 2016. By September, this had increased to RUB 1.2 billion. In March 2017, the delivery of the vessel was officially postponed to the end of 2018 by an order of the federal government, meaning that the United Shipbuilding Corporation would not be required to pay penalty for the delayed delivery of the vessel.Правительство отказалось от пени за ледоколы. Kommersant, 9 March 2017. In December 2017, it was reported that another RUB 870 million would be granted to the United Shipbuilding Corporation to cover for devaluation of the Russian ruble as well as other negative effects, adding to the RUB 700 million granted in January for the same purpose. In July 2019, the estimate for the total cost of the icebreaker was about RUB 12 billion, about 50% more than the original contract value. In late 2021, this had increased to RUB 14.6 billion.
In July 2016, it was estimated that the launching would take place in October of the same year,Rosmorrechflot estimates technical readiness of icebreaker Victor Chernomyrdin at 39.2%. PortNews, 1 July 2016. but the vessel was finally launched on 30 December 2016. In July 2017, it was announced that the unfinished icebreaker would be transferred to Admiralty Shipyard for outfitting in order to speed up the delivery of the vessel.«Виктору Черномырдину» тесно на Балтзаводе. Kommersant, 25 July 2017. According to the RUB 3.695 billion contract, the vessel must be delivered by 25 June 2019,«Адмиралтейские верфи» доделают ледокол «Виктор Черномырдин» летом 2019-го. Fontanka, 13 September 2017. but delivery was initially expected already in the autumn 2018.Construction of Viktor Chernomyrdin icebreaker involves 600 people every day (photo). PortNews, 26 January 2018. The quayside trials were completed in August 2018.Ледокол «Виктор Черномырдин» проходит швартовые испытания. Rosmorport, 23 August 2018.
2018 fire
On 27 November 2018, a fire broke out on board the vessel, injuring two workers and damaging about of technical spaces on the third and fourth decks containing electrical equipment and wiring.New Russian Icebreaker Catches Fire at St. Petersburg Yard. Maritime Executive, 27 November 2018. The cause of the fire was hot work adjacent to a partially-filled heavy fuel oil tank which exploded and spilled burning oil to the adjacent compartments.
At the time, USC President Aleksey Rakhmanov estimated that the accident could delay the delivery of the vessel as the fire damaged some imported equipment such as an American-sourced waste water filtration system that may be replaced by a European or South Korean unit due to the sanctions.Delivery of Viktor Chernomyrdin icebreaker can be delayed because of fire - Aleksey Rakhmanov. PortNews, 30 November 2018. The material damage was estimated to be over 400 million rubles (about US$6 million). A criminal case was also opened against two Admiralty Shipyard workers responsible for issuing hot work permits.
Following the fire, sea trials originally scheduled for the end of 2018 were postponed to August 2019.Ледокол "Виктор Черномырдин" планируют отправить на ходовые испытания в августе. TASS, 20 March 2019. After further delays, Viktor Chernomyrdin finally left for sea trials to the Gulf of Finland on 5 October and returned on 22 October. Full-scale icebreaking trials, initially planned for March–April 2020, were also postponed to April 2021.
Disagreement over cost
Initially, the delivery of the vessel was scheduled for 25 December 2019. However, on 24 December it was reported that while Viktor Chernomyrdin was technically ready and manned, the delivery had been postponed to the first quarter of 2020. According to the United Shipbuilding Corporation, the new icebreaker would be handed over to Rosmorport once all legal and financial issues with the customer have been resolved. Until then, Rosmorport had refused to pay the excess cost of the vessel beyond the original contract price of about 8 billion rubles, currently estimated to be between 3 and 4 billion rubles on top of that. Since the December 2019 delivery date had not been extended by a new governmental decree, this cost overrun could have been further increased by a penalty of up to 1 billion rubles for the missed deadline.
In April 2020, it was announced that the disagreement had been settled with the Ministry of Industry and Trade and Ministry of Transport each allocating an additional 1 billion rubles for the project. In addition, the United Shipbuilding Corporation would provide an additional 1.5 billion rubles to cover the increased cost of the vessel. Following this agreement, Viktor Chernomyrdin was expected to enter service in late 2020.