Project 10510 icebreaker

In the early 1990s, Central Marine Research and Design Institute (CNIIMF) and the Central Design Bureau "Iceberg" developed a number of "icebreaker type size series" for a long-term fleet renewal program initiated shortly after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. In addition to smaller diesel-electric icebreakers, the proposed icebreaking vessels included two distinct nuclear-powered icebreaker designs: a 60-megawatt dual-draft line icebreaker and a 110-megawatt "leader-icebreaker". The latter's primary mission would be to ensure reliable year-round shipping in the Russian Arctic, including transit cargo along the Northern Sea Route as well as transportation of raw materials and natural resources produced from the continental shelf. As traditional icebreaker-led convoys were seen preferable over independently-operating ships, the principal characteristics such as a beam of 40–42 metres (131–138 ft) and capability of breaking up to 3.5 metres (11 ft) thick ice were specified with escorting of large-tonnage vessels in mind.[8]

In the late 2000s, increasing shipping activity in the Russian Arctic and the prospect of turning the Northern Sea Route into a year-round shortcut between Western Europe and Asia called for the development of more powerful icebreakers. The 110-megawatt icebreaker, now referred to simply as "Leader" (or "Lider" as romanized from the Russian word Лидер),[7] was seen as the key for ensuring that large container ships could transit the northern passage in just ten days.[9][10][11]

In September 2011, then Prime Minister Vladimir Putin mentioned the construction of 110-megawatt nuclear-powered icebreakers "here in the northwestern shipyards in Russia" in his speech at the interregional conference of United Russia in Cherepovets.[12] Shortly afterwards, Krylov State Research Center began developing the vessel concept in co-operation with Central Design Bureau "Iceberg".[13] The result, Project 10510, was a nuclear-powered icebreaker design intended for escorting cargo ships and tankers with a beam of 50 metres (160 ft) and deadweight tonnage of 100,000 tonnes year-round along the entire Northern Sea Route. With a propulsion power of 120 megawatts, the icebreaker would be capable of maintaining an average escort speed of 10–11 knots (19–20 km/h; 12–13 mph) in 2-metre (6.6 ft) ice.[14][15]

While the Saint Petersburg-based Baltic Shipyard, builder of the preceding Arktika class and the upcoming Project 22220 icebreakers, declared itself as the only Russian shipyard with the necessary competence to construct nuclear-powered icebreakers,[16] the newly-constructed shipbuilding complex "Zvezda" in Bolshoy Kamen in the Russian Far East was also seen as a serious contender. However, proposals to built the vessel at Zaliv Shipbuilding Yard in Kerch in the Russian-annexed Crimea were largely dismissed.[17][18] In September 2018, Zvezda was officially selected as the sole builder of the Project 10510 icebreakers.[1] In February 2019, CEO of Zvezda, Sergei Tseluyko, confirmed during an interview with TASS that the plan is to build three Project 10510 icebreakers at the shipyard.[3][19]

On 15 January 2020, shortly before resigning, then Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev signed a governmental order allocating 125.57 billion rubles[note 1] of federal money for financing the construction of the first Project 10510 icebreaker for Rosatom from 2020 onwards and commissioning it by 2027.[2][4] Previously, the funding for the construction of the icebreaker had been excluded from the 2017–2025 state program for the development of the Arctic as funding had been cut from 209.7 billion to 50.9 billion rubles.[20]

On 23 April 2020, Atomflot and Zvezda signed the shipbuilding contract for the construction of the first Project 10510 icebreaker.[21][7]