Project 22220 (LK-60)
Project 22220 (LK-60) is a nuclear-powered icebreaker operated by Rosatomflot, powered by 2 RITM-200 of about 175 MWt each. Operating.
The current generation of Russian nuclear icebreakers: Arktika, Sibir, Ural, Yakutia and Chukotka, 60 MW of propulsion from two reactors, able to break 2.8 metres of ice. Their RITM-200 reactor is the direct ancestor of the land-based SMR Rosatom is building in Yakutia, a rare case of a small modular reactor with genuine operating heritage rather than a paper design.
| Reactor | RITM-200 |
|---|---|
| Reactors per vessel | 2 |
| Thermal output | 175MWt each |
| Fuel enrichment | Under 20% U-235HALEU |
| Refuelling | Every 6–7 years |
| Category | icebreaker |
|---|---|
| Role | civil |
| Operator | Rosatomflot |
| Country | Russia |
| Vessels in class | 5 |
| In service from | 2020 |
| Status | Operating |
Other icebreakers
| Class | Enrichment | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Arktika class | - | Retired |
| Lenin | - | Retired |
| Project 10510 Lider | - | Under construction |
| Taymyr class | HALEU | Operating |
Project 22220 (LK-60) in context
It is one of 5 icebreaker programs on record, 2 of them operating and 2 retired, and one of 13 naval reactor programs from the same country.
Each of its reactors is rated about 175 MWt; across the 5 icebreaker programs with a stated rating the median is 171 MWt, and this one ranks 2nd.
With 2 reactors per vessel, the combined thermal rating is about 350 MWt.
It entered service in 2020, 6 years ago; the icebreaker programs on record entered service between 1959 and 2028, and this one is the 4th earliest of 5.
| Measure | Project 22220 (LK-60) | Median of icebreaker programs | Standing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thermal power per reactor (MWt) | 175 | 171 | 2 of 5 |
| Entered service | 2020 | 1989 | 4 of 5 (earliest first) |
Worked out from the entries on this site only, so a figure compares Project 22220 (LK-60) with what is recorded here, not with everything that exists. An entry with no value for a measure is left out of that measure's ranking and median.
Sources
- World Nuclear Association, Nuclear-Powered Ships · retrieved 2026-09-07
How these sources are used, including the corrections applied on top of them and what is deliberately left blank · download the underlying data