Vladivostok (2014 icebreaker)

In the 2000s, Russia began renewing the state-owned icebreaker fleet that, at the time, consisted mainly of Soviet-era vessels dating back to the 1970s and 1980s. In July 2004, the Saint Petersburg-based Baltic Shipyard won an international tender for the construction of two 16-megawatt diesel-electric icebreakers for Rosmorport, a state-owned company established in 2003 to manage Russia's port infrastructure and operate its fleet of diesel-powered icebreakers. These icebreakers, Moskva (delivered in 2008) and Sankt-Peterburg (2009), were the first non-nuclear icebreaker built in Russia for over three decades and the first new icebreakers ordered following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. In 2011, the Russian government decided to continue the fleet renewal within the framework of the federal program Development of the Transport System of Russia (2010–2020) with three additional 16-megawatt diesel-electric icebreakers. On 23 February 2012, the remaining two vessels were also contracted to Vyborg Shipyard which was acquired by the state-owned United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) to solve the shipyard's financial problems. The new icebreakers, referred to as Project 21900M, represent a further development of the original Project 21900 design. their propulsion power was increased to 18 megawatts. Externally, the most apparent difference is the helideck which has been moved to the foredeck and enlarged for the bigger Mil Mi-8 helicopter. and the keel laying ceremony was held on 17 October. Initially, the completed hull blocks were stored in the open while the shipyard was finalizing the construction of a semi-submersible barge Atlant that would be used for hull assembly and launching of the new icebreakers. The hull assembly began on 5 August 2013 and the vessel was launched on 29 April 2014. Like the preceding Project 21900 icebreakers, the new icebreakers are also named after major cities of Russia with the lead ship Vladivostok representing the largest Russian port city on the Pacific coast. Previously, the same naming scheme was also used for a series of five diesel-electric polar icebreakers built by the Finnish shipbuilder Wärtsilä in the 1960s; the previous Vladivostok was in service in 1969–1992. == Design ==

Vladivostok is long overall and between perpendiculars, Fully laden, the icebreaker draws of water. Vladivostok has a fully integrated diesel-electric propulsion system with main diesel generators supplying power for both main propulsion as well as ship's service loads while underway. Her main power plant consists of four 12-cylinder Wärtsilä 12V32E four-stroke medium-speed diesel engines rated at each. For main propulsion, Vladivostok is fitted with two electrically driven azimuth thrusters. Her two Steerprop SP110ARCPULL Z-drive units, each driven by two electric propulsion motors in tandem configuration, With a total propulsion power of , Vladivostok can achieve a service speed of in open water In addition, she has a transverse bow thruster for maneuvering. == Career ==

Vladivostok is based in Saint Petersburg and normally escorts merchant ships in the Gulf of Finland during the winter navigating season. However, in April 2016 the icebreaker sailed to the Arctic together with her sister vessel Murmansk for full-scale ice trials. In the following years, Vladivostok returned to the Arctic: in 2017, she was stationed in Sabetta to provide icebreaking services for the Arctic LNG terminal and in the following year provided ice management services during offshore drilling in the Kara Sea. == References ==