Editing Sevmorput (section)

===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" />