In St. Petersburg, the Severny Polyus (North Pole) ice-resistant self-propelled platform has been sent for contractor trials.

Minister of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation Alexander Kozlov, who was attending the send-off, commented on the importance of the production process, saying that the platform was a complex facility built “from a blank slate.”

“There is nothing like this platform anywhere in the world. The Admiralty Shipyards did its best to arrive at this stage on time. Right now, you can see a wonderful embodiment of the plans that were conceived on a sheet of paper and received support from our national leaders. Let me say that we have received a further instruction to develop new ships for the Arctic. We hope that the Admiralty Shipyards will be our reliable partner in implementing these future projects,” Alexander Kozlov stated.

Interestingly, the platform has left for sea trials on the Polar Explorer Day.

“In September, the ship will head for the Arctic, where the North Pole-41 expedition is set to start. We are preparing an extensive research program that includes meteorological, oceanological, hydrochemical and biological studies. But we understand that the main objective of this first run is to see how the ship will perform amid ice, test the new equipment, and organize research both on board the platform and on the ice,” Director of the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute Alexander Makarov said.  

The ship will undergo a series of trials in the Baltic Sea to certify the signals, location and navigation systems. Also to be tested are the auxiliary diesel generator sets, the main diesel engine, the cruising systems, the auxiliary boiler plants, and the principal ship propulsion units.