Specialists have completed the design of the year-round Snezhinka Arctic station in the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area (YNAA). The conclusion of the state expert examination is expected in late 2022 – early 2023, Dmitry Livanov, Rector of the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT) told TASS on Thursday during a satellite event of the Young Scientists Congress held in Salekhard.

According to him, Snezhinka is essentially an analogue to the International Space Station, where state-of-the-art technological and scientific solutions will be tested. 'Now the design stage is fully completed, the project is in the Russian State Expertise, we hope that either at the end of this year or early next year, we will get a positive opinion on it, and we will start construction next year, 2023,' he said.

Livanov stressed that the project will be implemented within two years, with the station being launched at the end of 2025. He also added that Snezhinka would be able to accommodate up to 100 people at a time and they would work at the site all year round.

MIPT is now negotiating with partners from China, India and other countries who are interested in implementing their research programmes at the Snezhinka site.

The year-round Snezhinka Arctic research station in Yamal will use advanced technologies in clean energy production and life-support systems. The station will be located in Jade Valley, YNAA, and will be the world's first hydrogen-powered scientific and educational complex. Test operation of the project is scheduled to start in 2024. The main work on Snezhinka is carried out by the Russian Ministry of Education and Science and MIPT.