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{{short description|Nuclear powered cargo ship}}
{| {{Infobox ship begin |display title=ital}}
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image = Sevmorput underway to Arkhangelsk Gulf of Finland Baltic Sea 25 February 2020.jpg
| Ship caption = ''Sevmorput'' in the [[Baltic Sea]] in February 2020
}}
{{Infobox ship career
| Hide header =
| Ship country = Russia
| Ship flag = {{shipboxflag|Russia}}
| Ship name = ''Sevmorput'' (''Севморпуть'')
| Ship namesake = [[Northern Sea Route]]
| Ship owner = [[Russian Federation]]
| Ship operator = *[[Murmansk Shipping Company]]<br />(1988–2008)
*[[Atomflot]] ([[Rosatom]])<br/ >(2008–present)
| Ship registry = [[Murmansk]]<ref name="fleetphoto">{{cite web|url=https://fleetphoto.ru/vessel/16327/|title=Севморпуть|language=ru|website=FleetPhoto|accessdate=5 December 2020}}</ref>
| Ship ordered = 30 May 1978
| Ship builder = [[Zaliv Shipbuilding yard|Zaliv Shipyard]] ([[Kerch]], [[Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic|Ukrainian SSR]])
| Ship original cost = US$265 million
| Ship yard number = 401
| Ship way number =
| Ship laid down = 1 June 1982
| Ship launched = 20 February 1986
| Ship sponsor =
| Ship christened =
| Ship completed = 31 December 1988
| Ship commissioned = 
| Ship decommissioned =
| Ship maiden voyage =
| Ship in service = 1988–2007; 2016–present
| Ship out of service = 2007–2016
| Ship identification =*[[Maritime call sign|Call sign]]: UHBY
*{{IMO number|8729810}}
*{{MMSI|273137100}}
| Ship fate =
| Ship status = In service
| Ship notes =
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
| Hide header =
| Header caption =
| Ship type = [[Lighter aboard ship|LASH carrier]]/[[container ship]]
| Ship tonnage =*{{GT|38,226}}
*{{NetT|11,468}}
*{{DWT|33,980}} ([[Load line (vessel)|summer]])
*{{DWT|26,480}} (Arctic)
| Ship displacement = 61,880 tons (summer)<ref name="rosatom_specs">{{cite web|url=http://www.rosatomflot.ru/index.php?menuid=34&lang=en|title=Atomic lighter "Sevmorput"|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426002347/http://www.rosatomflot.ru/index.php?menuid=34&lang=en|archive-date=26 April 2012|publisher=Rosatom|accessdate=26 November 2011}}</ref>
| Ship length = {{convert|260.30|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| Ship beam = {{convert|32.20|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| Ship height =
| Ship draught =*{{convert|11.80|m|ft|abbr=on}} (summer)
*{{convert|10.65|m|ft|abbr=on}} (Arctic)
| Ship depth = {{convert|18.30|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| Ship ice class =*[[Russian Maritime Register of Shipping|RMRS]] ULA (1981 rules)
*RMRS UL (current)
| Ship power = [[KLT-40 reactor|KLT-40]] [[nuclear reactor]] (135{{nbsp}}{{abbr|MWt|megawatts thermal}})
| Ship propulsion =*Single shaft; steam turbine (29,420{{nbsp}}kW)
*4-bladed [[ducted propeller|ducted]] [[Variable-pitch propeller (marine)|controllable-pitch propeller]]
| Ship speed =*{{convert|20.8|kn}} ({{convert|10|m|ft|abbr=on}} draught, full power)
*{{convert|2|kn}} in {{convert|1|m|ft|abbr=on}} level ice
| Ship range = * Unlimited (nuclear)
* {{convert|6000|nmi}} (diesel)<ref name="paluba2024">{{cite web|url=https://paluba.media/news/68223|title=Как устроен атомный лихтеровоз "Севморпуть" проекта 10081|website=Media Paluba|date=24 January 2024|accessdate=24 January 2024}}</ref>
| Ship endurance =
| Ship capacity =*74 [[Lighter (barge)|lighters]] (300 tons each)
*{{TEU|1,328}}
| Ship crew =
| Ship notes =
}}
|}

'''''Sevmorput''''' ({{lang-rus|Севморпуть|p=sʲɪvmɐrˈputʲ}}, {{lit}} [[Northeast Passage]]) is a Russian [[nuclear marine propulsion|nuclear-powered]] [[cargo ship]]. The 1988-built vessel is one of only four nuclear-powered merchant ships ever built and, after returning to service in 2016 following an extensive refit, the only such vessel to remain in service {{as of|2024||lc=y}}.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Portnews |date=2023-02-01 |title=Nuclear-powered container carrier Sevmorput to make two round voyages between Saint-Petersburg and the Far East in 2023 |url=https://en.portnews.ru/news/342298/ |access-date=2023-03-19 |website=Portnews |language=en}}</ref> <!-- refs saved here for later use <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.highnorthnews.com/russia-to-send-nuclear-powered-cargo-ship-through-arctic/|title=Russia to send Nuclear-powered cargo ship through Arctic}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.maritime-executive.com/article/russia-readies-nuclear-container-ship|title=Russia Readies Nuclear Container Ship}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arctic-lio.com/node/260|title=Nuclear lighter carrier "Sevmorput" came back from Franz Josef Land}}</ref> -->

==History==

===Development and construction===

After the [[Second World War]], the [[Soviet Union]] began developing the [[Northern Sea Route]] in order to support the economic exploitation of the vast natural resources of the northern regions. The ambitious plan initiated by the [[20th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union]] in the 1950s led to the construction of powerful [[icebreaker]]s to escort cargo ships through the ice-covered waters and extend the navigating season in the Russian Arctic.<ref name="kitagawa">{{citation|last=Kitagawa|first=K.|publisher=Ship & Ocean Foundation|year=2001|title=The Northern Sea Route - The shortest sea route linking East Asia to Europe|isbn=4-88404-027-9|url=http://www.sof.or.jp/en/report/pdf/200103_rp_ar0103e.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719062351/http://www.sof.or.jp/en/report/pdf/200103_rp_ar0103e.pdf|archive-date=19 July 2011}}</ref><ref name="thesovietarctic">{{citation|last=Horensma|first=P|title=The Soviet Arctic|publisher=Taylor & Francis e-Library|year=2005|isbn=0-203-16806-2|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TpfSpUVmemAC}}</ref> The flagship of the post-war Soviet icebreaker fleet was the world's first [[nuclear-powered icebreaker]], [[Lenin (1957 icebreaker)|''Lenin'']].<ref name="atomicexpert">{{cite web|url=https://atomicexpert.com/page246056.html?fbclid=IwAR05lXctGpLR8DwxUA5tfN1WmJzPPWcObl5jnjk5bnSARkqmDbuXGVqz-RA|title=Гражданские атомные плавсредства|language=ru|website=Атомный эксперт|accessdate=5 December 2020}}{{Dead link|date=September 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

While numerous [[warship]]s and [[submarine]]s were built with [[nuclear marine propulsion]], attempts to utilize the nearly unlimited range provided by an onboard [[nuclear reactor]] to transport commercial cargo were limited to a small number of experimental prototypes.<ref name="atomicexpert" /> The United States had built the world's first nuclear-powered merchant ship, [[NS Savannah|''Savannah'']], primarily as a technological demonstrator and ambassador for the peaceful use of atomic power rather than an economically viable cargo ship.<ref name="mhts1">{{cite web|last=Lange|first=Robie S.|title=Maritime Heritage of the United States NHL Theme Study – Large Vessels: N.S. Savannah Theme Study|url={{NHLS url|id=82001518}}|format=pdf|publisher=[[National Park Service]]|date=August 1990|page=17|accessdate=5 December 2020}}</ref> Similarly, both the West German [[NS Otto Hahn|''Otto Hahn'']] and the Japanese [[Mutsu (nuclear ship)|''Mutsu'']] were intended to be research ships and to provide experience from nuclear propulsion; the latter also never carried any commercial cargo.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.radiationworks.com/ships/nsottohahn.htm|title=NS Otto Hahn - Germany's nuclear powered cargo ship|website=Radiationworks|accessdate=5 December 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.handyshippingguide.com/shipping-news/container-ships-and-bulk-tankers-to-go-nuclear_2338|title=Container Ships And Bulk Tankers To Go Nuclear?|date=18 December 2010|website=Handy Shipping Guide|accessdate=5 December 2020}}</ref>

However, the Soviet Union continued developing nuclear-powered ships to support Arctic shipping and began building [[Arktika-class icebreaker|new nuclear-powered icebreakers]] in the 1970s.<ref name="atomicexpert" /> On 30 May 1978, the [[Ministry of the Merchant Marine of the Soviet Union|Ministry of the Merchant Marine]] (MORFLOT) and the [[Ministry of Shipbuilding Industry]] of the [[Soviet Union]] signed a joint decision No. C-13/01360 for the development of an ice-strengthened [[nuclear marine propulsion|nuclear-powered]] [[lighter aboard ship]] (LASH) carrier. The design work was assigned to the Leningrad-based [[Central Design Bureau "Baltsudoproekt"]].<ref name="rosatom_sevmorput">{{cite web|url=http://www.rosatomflot.ru/flot/atomnyy-lihterovoz-sevmorput/|title=Атомный контейнеровоз "Севморпуть"|language=ru|publisher=Rosatom|accessdate=5 December 2020}}</ref><ref name="bibatom">{{cite web|url=http://www.biblioatom.ru/evolution/istoriya-osnovnyh-sistem/istoriya-reactorov/klt-40/|title=Один в трех лицах|language=ru|accessdate=5 December 2020|publisher=Rosatom|archive-date=20 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210720150507/http://www.biblioatom.ru/evolution/istoriya-osnovnyh-sistem/istoriya-reactorov/klt-40/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The keel of "Project 10081" [[keel laying|was laid]] at [[Zaliv Shipbuilding yard|Zaliv Shipyard]] in [[Kerch]], [[Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic]], on 1 June 1982 and the ship was [[Ceremonial ship launching|launched]] on 20 February 1986.<ref name="rosatom_specs" /> The nuclear-powered LASH carrier was named ''Sevmorput'' ({{lang-rus|Севморпуть|p=sʲɪvmɐrˈputʲ}}) after the [[Russian language|Russian]] abbreviation for the [[Northern Sea Route]] ({{langx|ru|Се́верный морско́й путь|Severnyy morskoy put}}). The ship's [[KLT-40]] reactor plant reached criticality on 26 October 1986.<ref name="bibatom" /> ''Sevmorput'' was delivered to the state-owned [[Murmansk Shipping Company]] (MSCO) on 31 December 1988.<ref name="rosatom_specs" /><ref name="aspol">[http://murmansk.aspol.ru/aboutreg/atomflot/smp.html Лихтеровоз-контейнеровоз "СЕВМОРПУТЬ". 1988 г. (in Russian)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100414104354/http://murmansk.aspol.ru/aboutreg/atomflot/smp.html |date=14 April 2010 }}. {{retrieved | accessdate=2011-11-26}}</ref>

The overall price of the nuclear-powered cargo ship was reported to be around US$265 million.<ref name="latimes1989" />

===Career===

==== Murmansk Shipping Company (1988–2008) ====

After leaving the shipyard and entering commercial service, ''Sevmorput'' sailed through the [[Mediterranean]] and around Africa until finally reaching the Soviet Far East.<ref name="latimes1989">[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-03-08-mn-249-story.html Four Soviet Ports Bar Ship in Protest Over Nuclear Safety]. Los Angeles Times, 8 March 1989. {{retrieved | accessdate=2011-11-26}}</ref> However, authorities in [[Nakhodka]], [[Vostochny Port|Vostochny]], [[Magadan]] and [[Vladivostok]] refused to accept the two-month-old ship into their ports due to popular protests. In addition the harbour workers also refused to load or unload any cargo or provide any port services due to fears of radiation leakage. This was caused by uncertainty about the safety of the ship's nuclear propulsion system and the shadow of the [[Chernobyl disaster]] only a few years earlier. The local newspapers had also reported a four-minute emergency on board the nuclear icebreaker [[Rossiya (icebreaker)|''Rossiya'']] only a week before the arrival of ''Sevmorput''.<ref name="latimes1989" /> The ship was finally allowed to dock at Vladivostok on 13 March 1989.<ref name="globalsecurity">[http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/russia/10081.htm Project 10081 Sevmorput]. GlobalSecurity.org. {{retrieved | accessdate=2011-11-27}}</ref>

The initial plan was to utilize ''Sevmorput'' in international transport, and the Soviet government applied for a permission to have the ship make several stops in [[Vancouver, British Columbia]], [[Canada]], in March 1990. However, the permission was denied because the evacuation and emergency response measures of the city were not deemed adequate in case of an accident involving the ship's nuclear reactor. Later the ship was mainly used on the Murmansk-[[Dudinka]] route, but also made several trips to [[Vietnam]] in the early 1990s.<ref name="globalsecurity" /> The daily operating expenses of ''Sevmorput'' were reportedly around US$90,000 and she was not expected to make profit during the first two years of her career.<ref name="latimes1989" />

In the late 1990s, ''Sevmorput'' was laid up in Murmansk due to delays in the refueling of her reactor.<ref name="bellona_refuel">[http://bellona.org/english_import_area/international/russia/icebreakers/storage/8629 Lepse to get patched up] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090704005612/http://www.bellona.org/english_import_area/international/russia/icebreakers/storage/8629 |date=4 July 2009 }}. Bellona Foundation, 29 June 1999. {{retrieved | accessdate=2011-11-28}}</ref> The refueling finally took place in 2001 and later the ship resumed service on the Dudinka route.<ref name="globalsecurity" />

In August 2007, it was reported that ''Sevmorput'' would be converted into the world's first nuclear-powered [[drillship]] due to lack of demand for cargo operators for lighters and the need of specialized drilling vessels in the Russian Arctic. The conversion at the Zvezdochka plant in [[Severodvinsk]] was to take only 18 months.<ref name="bo2007">[http://www.barentsobserver.com/index.php?id=526765 Murmansk gets the world's first nuclear-powered oil drilling vessel]. BarentsObserver.com, 7 August 2007. {{retrieved | accessdate=2011-11-28}}</ref> However, the renovation project was cancelled in February 2008.<ref name="globalsecurity" />

==== Atomflot (2008–present) ====
{{update section|date=October 2023}}

The management of the Russian nuclear-powered icebreaker fleet was transferred from MSCO to [[Rosatom]] in 2008.<ref name="rosatom2008">[http://www.bellona.org/articles/articles_2008/atomflot_torosatom Rosatom takes over Russia's nuclear powered icebreaker fleet] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081121114721/http://www.bellona.org/articles/articles_2008/atomflot_torosatom |date=21 November 2008 }}. Bellona Foundation, 28 August 2008. {{Retrieved | accessdate=2011-11-28}}</ref> In October 2009, the general director of Atomflot announced that ''Sevmorput'' could remain in service for 15 years.<ref name="globalsecurity" />

In late October 2012, it was reported that ''Sevmorput'', which had been lying idle at the Atomflot base outside Murmansk since 2007, had been removed from the Russian Ship Register in July and would be sold for scrap.<ref name="scrap">[http://barentsobserver.com/en/business/no-future-nuclear-powered-container-ship-24-10 No future for nuclear-powered container ship]. Barents Observer, 24 October 2012.</ref> However, in December 2013 it was reported that the decision to decommission the nuclear-powered ship had been cancelled and that the vessel would be brought back to service by February 2016.<ref name="recommissioning">{{cite news|url=http://www.b-port.com/news/item/120892.html|title=Атомный контейнеровоз-лихтеровоз "Севморпуть" будет восстановлен к 2016 году|publisher=B-port.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arctic-lio.com/node/210|title=Nuclear-powered container vessel "Sevmorput" will be restored - Northern Sea Route Information Office|website=www.arctic-lio.com|access-date=18 July 2017|archive-date=12 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180812143906/http://www.arctic-lio.com/node/210|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://portnews.ru/news/174476/|title=Dock repairs of LASH carrier Sevmorput is over|website=portnews.ru|date=28 January 2014 }}</ref> Following a two-year refit and refueling of the reactor,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.highnorthnews.com/en/russia-send-nuclear-powered-cargo-ship-through-arctic|title=Russia to send Nuclear-powered cargo ship through Arctic|publisher=High North News|date=11 March 2016|access-date=3 January 2020}}</ref> ''Sevmorput'' left Murmansk in November 2015 for the first time in nine years to carry out sea trials in the Barents Sea.<ref>[http://portnews.ru/news/210709/ Атомный лихтеровоз-контейнеровоз «Севморпуть» 30 ноября прибудет в Мурманск после завершения ходовых испытаний (фото)]. PortNews, 30 November 2015. {{retrieved|accessdate=2015-11-30}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/industry/2015/12/nuclear-powered-container-ship-back-arctic-waters|title=Nuclear-powered container ship back in Arctic waters|date=December 2015 }}</ref><ref name="energycollective">{{cite web|url=http://www.theenergycollective.com/wdavis/2307845/sevmorput-completes-trials-after-overhaul-signs-future|title=SEVMORPUT Completes Trials After Overhaul; Signs for the Future - The Energy Collective|date=31 December 2015}}</ref>

Since returning to service in 2016, the world's only nuclear-powered cargo ship has been chartered mainly by the [[Ministry of Defence (Russia)|Russian Ministry of Defence]] for transporting cargo related to the development of military infrastructure in the Arctic.<ref>[http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/focus-analysis/naval-technology/5223-focus-russia-beefing-up-its-ice-rated-vessel-fleet-in-the-arctic-part-ii.html Focus - Russia's Arctic Fleet]. Navy Recognition, 20 May 2017. {{retrieved|accessdate=2017-07-20}}</ref> In addition, the vessel has occasionally transported supplies for oil and gas projects.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.portnews.ru/news/276677/|title=Nuclear-powered container carrier Sevmorput to deliver 26,000 tonnes of general cargo to Utrenneye field in the Gulf of Ob|date=8 May 2019|access-date=2 January 2020|publisher=PortNews}}</ref>

[[File:Yamal and other Russian Icebreakers (19619184325).jpg|thumb|left|''Sevmorput'' behind the nuclear-powered icebreaker [[Yamal (icebreaker)|''Yamal'']]]]

In October 2018, the [[Federal Agency for Fishery (Russia)|Russian Federal Agency for Fishery (Rosrybolovstvo)]], Rosatom and various Russian fishing industry organizations began discussing the possibility of transporting Pacific salmon caught in [[Kamchatka]] to western Russia along the Northern Sea Route using ''Sevmorput''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.portnews.ru/news/266609/|title=Regular shipping line can be organized for fish deliveries from Russia's Far East|date=25 October 2018|publisher=PortNews|access-date=2 January 2020}}</ref> Initially, two test shipments of 5,000{{nbsp}}tonnes of frozen fish from [[Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky]] to [[Saint Petersburg]] were planned for 2019,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.portnews.ru/news/282494/|title=Nuclear-powered container carrier Sevmorput to use NSR for fish delivery from Kamchatka to Saint-Petersburg |date=26 August 2019|access-date=2 January 2020|publisher=PortNews}}</ref> but the second voyage was later cancelled after the first voyage turned out to be less profitable than expected.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/industry-and-energy/2019/10/second-voyage-fish-cargo-arctic-sea-route-cancelled|title=Second shipment of fish via Arctic sea route cancelled|publisher=The Barents Observer|date=30 October 2019|access-date=2 January 2020}}</ref> On 21 March 2019, ''Sevmporput'' sailed for the first time from [[Archangelsk]] to Utrenneye (Salmanovskoye) natural gas field at [[Gyda Peninsula]] to transport 17,000 tons of construction goods for [[Novatek]]'s Arctic LNG-2 project. The passage took in total of five days.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/arctic-industry-and-energy/2019/03/nuclear-container-ship-sevmorput-sets-course-new-arctic-gas-field|title=Nuclear container ship "Sevmorput" sets course for new Arctic gas field|website=thebarentsobserver.com|date=6 March 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rosatomflot.ru/press-centr/novosti-predpriyatiya/2019/03/26/11239-ekipazh-atomnogo-konteynerovoza-sevmorput-dostavil-pervuyu-partiyu-gruza-dlya-proekta-arktik-spg-2/|title=Экипаж атомного контейнеровоза "Севморпуть" доставил первую партию груза для проекта "Арктик СПГ 2"|website=rosatomflot.ru|date=26 March 2019}}</ref> The ship completed the same journey also the next year in March 2020, delivering 20,000 tons of goods.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/industry-and-energy/2020/03/nuclear-container-ship-sails-gulf-ob-delivers-20000-tons-og-goods-arctic|title=Nuclear container ship sails up Gulf of Ob, delivers 20,000 tons of goods to Arctic natural gas field|website=thebarentsobserver.com|date=27 March 2020}}</ref>

While Russian nuclear-powered icebreakers had occasionally operated in the Gulf of Finland, ''Sevmorput''{{'}}s pilot voyage in September 2019 marked the first time commercial cargo was carried to the Baltic Sea on board a Russian nuclear-powered vessel.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/industry-and-energy/2019/09/here-comes-nuclear-powered-cargo-loaded-seafood|title=Here comes a nuclear-powered cargo ship loaded with seafood|publisher=The Barents Observer|date=9 September 2019|access-date=2 January 2020}}</ref> While the vessel later returned to Murmansk, the sinking of [[PD-50|the only Russian floating dock capable of accommodating the vessel]] in November 2018 forced ''Sevmorput'' to sail back to Saint Petersburg for propeller repairs in December 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/industry-and-energy/2019/12/nuclear-powered-container-ship-sailed-3000-nm-change-propellers-lack|title=Nuclear-powered container ship sailed 3,000 nm to change propellers in lack of floating dock up north|date=15 December 2019|access-date=2 January 2020|publisher=The Barents Observer}}</ref>

After transporting a second shipment of fish from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky to Saint Petersburg in September 2020,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/arctic/2020/09/sevmorput-sails-northern-sea-route-loaded-only-one-fifth-capacity|title=Sevmorput sails Northern Sea Route loaded to less than one-fifth of capacity|date=10 September 2020|access-date=13 November 2020|publisher=The Barents Observer}}</ref> reportedly on the orders of [[President of Russia|President]] [[Vladimir Putin]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://polarjournal.ch/en/2020/05/25/putin-orders-more-fish-transport-via-nep/|title=Putin orders more fish transport via NEP|publisher=Polar Journal|date=25 May 2020|access-date=13 November 2020}}</ref> ''Sevmorput'' loaded prefabricated building modules for the new [[Vostok Station]] in [[Antarctica]] and departed on 5 October. This would mark the first time a nuclear-powered surface ship would sail to the Earth's southernmost continent. After leaving the Baltic Sea and passing through the [[English Channel]], ''Sevmorput'' headed south along the European and African coasts. However, shortly after crossing the [[Equator]] the vessel unexpectedly slowed down from its usual transit speed of about {{convert|18|kn}} to about {{convert|6|to|7|kn}} and, after sailing back and forth along its past track for a while, changed course towards Africa.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/nuclear-safety/2020/10/back-and-forth-pattern-reduced-speed-russian-nuclear-cargo-ship-steaming|title=Zig-zag pattern. Reduced speed. A Russian nuclear-powered cargo ship steaming outside Africa towards Antarctic attracts attention|publisher=The Barents Observer|date=20 October 2020|access-date=13 November 2020}}</ref> Although Rosatomflot initially declined to comment the situation,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/nuclear-safety/2020/11/mechanical-failure-leaves-russias-new-antarctica-station-stranded-outside|title=Mechanical failure leaves Russia's new Antarctica station stranded outside Angola|publisher=The Barents Observer|date=13 November 2020|access-date=13 November 2020}}</ref> unofficial reports implied that ''Sevmorput'' lost one of its four propeller blades and divers had to remove the opposite blade to balance the propeller.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://polarjournal.ch/en/2020/11/17/sevmorput-with-problems-off-angola/|title="Sevmorput" with problems off Angola|publisher=Polar Journal|date=17 November 2020|access-date=17 November 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://kadara.ru/rossiya/200777-angolskie-nepriyatnosti-arkticheskogo-transporta/|title=Ангольские неприятности арктического транспорта|language=ru|date=17 November 2020|access-date=17 November 2020|publisher=Kadara.ru}}</ref> On 26 November, it was confirmed that ''Sevmorput'' would have to head back to Saint Petersburg for repairs and the construction of the new Vostok station would be postponed to 2021 due to deteriorating ice conditions in Antarctica.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/4585715|title=Между учеными и родиной разверзлась лопасть|language=ru|publisher=Kommersant|date=26 November 2020|accessdate=26 November 2020}}</ref> After a winter lay-up, the vessel was drydocked in April 2021 and the repairs were completed in July.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.morvesti.ru/news/1679/90552/|title=На Канонерсом СРЗ закончили докование атомохода "Севморпуть"|language=ru|publisher=Морские вести России|date=13 July 2021|accessdate=7 August 2021}}</ref> Although [[Fatigue (material)|metal fatigue]], foreign object and improper operation were all considered potential explanations, the root cause of the propeller blade failure could not be determined.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/4928696|title="Проект будет реализовываться в любом случае"|publisher=Kommersant|date=5 August 2021|accessdate=7 August 2021|language=ru}}</ref>

In August 2021, ''Sevmorput'' sailed to Murmansk. After spending two months at quayside,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/nuclear-safety/2021/10/nuclear-container-ship-sails-back-st-petersburg|title=Nuclear container ship sails back to St. Petersburg after only two months in the Arctic|publisher=The Barents Observer|date=21 October 2021|accessdate=25 October 2021}}</ref> the ship returned again to Saint Petersburg to load nuclear power plant components for [[Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant]] under construction in [[Bangladesh]]. The cargo will be shipped to Vladivostok for transshipment.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://portnews.ru/news/320805/|title=Атомный контейнеровоз "Севморпуть" доставит груз для АЭС "Руппур"|language=ru|publisher=PortNews|date=2 November 2021|accessdate=2 November 2021}}</ref>

In October 2021, BSK-Rybnaya Kompaniya chartered the nuclear-powered cargo ship to transport frozen fish from Kamchatka. The first voyage along the Northern Sea Route was scheduled for November 2021.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://fishretail.ru/news/ribakam-predlagayut-zagruzit-sevmorput-427534|title=Рыбакам предлагают загрузить "Севморпуть"|language=ru|publisher=Fishretail.ru|date=27 October 2021|accessdate=28 October 2021}}</ref>

In October 2023, ''Sevmorput'' was one of the ships suspected by Finnish police of possible involvement in damage to the [[Balticconnector]] natural gas pipeline and telecommunication cables that occurred in the Gulf of Finland on 8 October.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Granlund |first1=John |last2=Velizelos |first2=Aris |date=2023-10-18 |title=Finländsk polis pekar ut "intressant" ryskt fartyg – färdades över förstörd svensk kabel |language=sv |work=SVT Nyheter |url=https://www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/misstankt-ryskt-fartyg-over-trasiga-undervattenskabeln |access-date=2023-10-18}}</ref> However, the anchor retrieved from the seabed next to the damaged pipeline was later identified as having come from the Chinese container ship ''[[Newnew Polar Bear]]'' that sailed alongside ''Sevmorput'' at the time of the incident.<ref name="is24Oct2023">{{cite web |url=https://www.is.fi/kotimaa/art-2000009944331.html |title=KRP: "Vierasesine" on ankkuri, josta puuttuu yksi piikki — kiinalaisalus vaikuttanut vastahankaiselta puhutteluun |trans-title= |language=fi |date=24 October 2023 |work=Ilta-Sanomat |publisher=Sanoma Media Finland |access-date=24 October 2023}}</ref>

On 24 December 2023, a fire broke out onboard ''Sevmorput'' while the vessel was moored at Atomflot's base in Murmansk. The fire was reportedly contained in one of the vessel's cabins and affected an area of about {{convert|30|sqm|sqft}}, was promptly extinguished, and caused no injuries.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tass.ru/proisshestviya/19620677|title=В Мурманске произошло возгорание на атомном контейнеровозе "Севморпуть"|language=ru|publisher=TASS|date=24 December 2023|accessdate=24 December 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/fire-briefly-breaks-out-russian-nuclear-powered-icebreaker-2023-12-24/|title=Fire briefly breaks out on Russian nuclear-powered icebreaker|publisher=Reuters|date=24 December 2023|accessdate=25 December 2023}}</ref>

According to Atomflot, ''Sevmorput'' is expected to remain in service until 2024.<ref name="outofservice">{{cite web|url=https://portnews.ru/news/357279/|title=Атомный контейнеровоз «Севморпуть» планируется заменить дизельным судном в 2024 году|language=ru|website=PortNews|date=8 December 2023|accessdate=8 December 2023}}</ref>

==Design==
[[File:Модель судна Севморпуть.JPG|thumb|right|Model of ''Sevmorput'']]

===General characteristics===

''Sevmorput'' is {{convert|260.30|m|ft}} [[length overall|long overall]] and {{convert|236.60|m|ft}} [[length between perpendiculars|between perpendiculars]]. The breadth and depth of her hull are {{convert|32.20|m|ft}} and {{convert|18.30|m|ft}}, respectively.<ref name="rs">{{csr|register=RS|id=840293|shipname=Sevmorput|accessdate=2011-11-26}}</ref> When loaded to the [[load line (vessel)|summer waterline]], the ship draws {{convert|11.80|m|ft}} of water. However, in ice-covered waters she operates with a slightly smaller draught of {{convert|10.65|m|ft}} to improve the icebreaking characteristics of her raked stem.<ref name="rosatom_specs" /> The [[gross tonnage]] of ''Sevmorput'' is 38,226 and [[net tonnage]] 11,468.<ref name="rs" /> The ship's [[deadweight tonnage]] is 33,980 tons at maximum draught and 26,480 tons while operating at reduced draught in ice. Her maximum displacement is 61,880 tons.<ref name="rosatom_specs" />

Although originally designed according to the [[USSR Register of Shipping]] rules of 1981 to the highest Soviet [[ice class]] available for merchant ships, ULA, ''Sevmorput'' is currently classified by the [[Russian Maritime Register of Shipping]] with a slightly lower ice class, UL.<ref name="rs" /> In addition to the national rules she was built according to the latest international regulations and conventions at the time, becoming the first ship built according to the ''Code of Safety for Nuclear Merchant Ships'' adopted by the [[International Maritime Organization]] in 1981.<ref name="rosatom_specs" /><ref name="imo">[http://www.imo.org/about/conventions/listofconventions/pages/international-convention-for-the-safety-of-life-at-sea-(solas),-1974.aspx International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), 1974] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150607173502/http://www.imo.org/About/Conventions/listofconventions/pages/international-convention-for-the-safety-of-life-at-sea-(solas),-1974.aspx |date=7 June 2015 }}. International Maritime Organization. {{retrieved | accessdate=2011-11-26}}</ref><ref name="bellona_first">[http://www.bellona.org/english_import_area/international/russia/civilian_nuclear_vessels/icebreakers/30107 Nuclear icebreakers] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110413075406/http://www.bellona.org/english_import_area/international/russia/civilian_nuclear_vessels/icebreakers/30107 |date=13 April 2011 }}. Bellona Foundation, 18 June 1997. {{retrieved | accessdate=2011-11-29}}</ref> Special attention was paid to the safety aspects of the vessel and, in addition to running aground or colliding with the reinforced bow of an icebreaker, the Soviet naval architects even took into account the possibility of a passenger aircraft crashing on ''Sevmorput''.<ref name="latimes1989" />

===Power and propulsion===

''Sevmorput'' is powered by a single [[KLT-40]] [[nuclear fission reactor]] with a thermal output of 135 megawatts. The reactor core contains {{convert|150.7|kg|lb}} of 30–40- or 90-percent<ref group="note" name="note1">90 % according to information provided to Norwegian government in 1990, 30–40 % according to [[Bellona Foundation]] citing communication with [[Murmansk Shipping Company]]. (Diakov, Anatoli C. et al.)</ref> enriched uranium in uranium-zirconium alloy<ref name="klt40">{{Citation| last1=Diakov| first1=Anatoli C.| last2=Dmitriev| first2=Alexander M.| last3=Kang| first3=Jungmin| last4=Shuvayev| first4=Alexey M.| last5=von Hippel| first5=Frank N.| display-authors=1|year=2006|pages=33–48|title=Feasibility of Converting Russian Icebreaker Reactors from HEU to LEU Fuel|journal=Science and Global Security|volume=14| issue=1|publisher=Taylor & Francis, Inc.
|url=http://www.armscontrol.ru/pubs/en/heu-leu-reactors-sgs.pdf|access-date=2011-11-26| doi=10.1080/08929880600620575| bibcode=2006S&GS...14...33D| s2cid=56235901}}
</ref> and has reportedly required refueling only twice. The nuclear power plant on board the vessel produces 215 tons of steam per hour at a pressure level of {{convert|40|atm|MPa|abbr=on}} and temperature of {{convert|290|C|F|abbr=on}}. In case of emergency steam can also be produced by a diesel-powered boiler (50 t/h, 2.45 MPa, 360&nbsp;°C).<ref name="rosatom_specs" />

Unlike the Russian [[Arktika-class icebreaker|''Arktika'']]- and [[Taymyr (1987 icebreaker)|''Taymyr'']]-class nuclear-powered icebreakers, which have three fixed-pitch propellers and utilize nuclear-turbo-electric powertrain, ''Sevmorput'' is propelled by a single 4-bladed [[ducted propeller|ducted]] [[Variable-pitch propeller (marine)|controllable-pitch propeller]] mechanically coupled to a GTZA 684 OM5 [[steam turbine]] which has a maximum output of {{convert|29420|kW|hp|abbr=on}} and turns the {{convert|6.7|m|ft|adj=on}} propeller at 115 rpm. At full power the propulsion system gives the ship a maximum speed of {{convert|20.8|kn}} at a draught of {{convert|10|m|ft}}. She can also maintain a speed of {{convert|2|kn}} in {{convert|1|m|ft|adj=on}} thick level ice.<ref name="rosatom_specs" />

For electricity production ''Sevmorput'' has three 1,700&nbsp;kW [[turbogenerator]]s and three 2,000&nbsp;kW standby diesel generators. In addition in case of [[power outage|blackout]] the vessel also has two 200&nbsp;kW emergency diesel generators.<ref name="rosatom_specs" />

===Cargo capacity and handling===
{{See also|Lighter aboard ship}}

''Sevmorput'' can carry 74 [[lighter (barge)|lighters]], each with a cargo capacity of 300 tons, in six holds and in two layers on the stern deck. The cargo hold hatches are designed for lighters with a total weight of 450 tons. The lighters are loaded and unloaded with a large [[gantry crane]], manufactured by [[KONE]], with a span of {{convert|21.3|m|ft}} and lifting capacity of 500 tons. The gantry crane has two three-ton auxiliary cranes.<ref name="rosatom_specs" />

When not carrying lighters, ''Sevmorput'' can carry both 20- and 40-foot containers weighing up to 20.3 and 30.5 tons, respectively, in three layers. The total container capacity of the ship is {{TEU|1,328|first=yes}}. While loading and unloading are usually done by shore-based cranes, a small number of containers can be handled with two container attachments to the gantry crane in ports that do not have cranes capable of handling containers. The lifting capacity of the attachments is 38 tons.<ref name="rosatom_specs" /> Later, ''Sevmorput'' has been fitted with two Russian-manufactured 60-tonne hydraulic boom cranes with a lifting radius of {{convert|43|m|ft|-1}}. The new cranes can also be used in tandem to lift 120-tonne loads.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://portnews.ru/news/271580/|title=ЗАО "СММ" поставило грузовые электрогидравлические краны "С1700" для атомного лихтеровоза "Севморпуть"|language=ru|publisher=PortNews|date=31 January 2019|access-date=2 January 2020}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Commons category|IMO 8729810|''Sevmorput''}}
* [[Nuclear-powered icebreaker]]
* [[Mutsu (nuclear ship)|NS ''Mutsu'']]
* [[NS Savannah|NS ''Savannah'']]
* [[NS Otto Hahn|NS ''Otto Hahn'']]

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group="note"}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Nuclear-powered civilian ships}}
{{Nuclear-powered icebreakers}}
{{Nuclear surface ships}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}}

[[Category:Ships built in the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:Nuclear-powered merchant ships]]
[[Category:Icebreakers of Russia]]
[[Category:Merchant ships of the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:1986 ships]]
[[Category:Murmansk Shipping Company]]
[[Category:Ships built at the Zalyv Shipbuilding yard]]