31.08.2017 16:40 / shipbuilding news, icebreaker

Severnaya Shipyard may get engaged in construction of the Leader icebreaker

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The state United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) plans to transfer construction of the new atomic ice breaker Leader to Severnaya Shipyard, the Kommersant newspaper reports with reference to corporation.

It was initially supposed that the vessel will be constructed by the other asset of USC - Baltic Shipyard. However the corporation specified that Baltic Shipyard (BS) will participate in the program "competences in a part of mechanical engineering and atomic shipbuilding".

In the publication it is marked that at the moment no shipyard in Russia is ready to construct of the ice breaker. Kommersant has reminded that at a conference on the 50 years of the Victory ice breaker on August 20 the CEO of BS Alexey Kadilov publicly addmited that today "Russia can't construct Leader", in particular because of the absence of docks of suitable parameters on shipyards (length of the ice breaker of 209 m, width - 47,5 m) and the sufficient depth of water areas. However he put forward arguments generally against construction on Severnaya Shipyard. According to him, serious investments in dredging, about 20 dollars for cubic meter are necessary. Also he has noted that the shipyard "has no competences on construction of similar vessels", the case of the ice breaker will be built anyway on sections by means of BS. The source of Kommersant at one of the enterprises has confirmed that "Severnaya Shipyard has harbor depth of 10 m, and building berths short and narrow", but also BS has a building berth A has a sufficient length, but is "narrowish".

Among options for "Leader" Kadilov also called Kerch "Gulf" (it is under control to structure of the "Ak Bars" group) where after all dredging will be required. In "Gulf" of Kommersant have told that the enterprise has "all necessary capacities". Construction can be conducted in dry dock 360 m long and 60 m wide, have noted there.

Nevertheless prospects for the project of the ice breaker are still not clear. The amounts of financing and terms will be determined when Minpromtorg provides "the necessary proving documents and materials". Minpromtorg says that the solution on construction of the ice breaker "is found in a final stage of acceptance and corresponding standard registration", financing sources are defined. According to the source Kommersant in branch, a situation can clear up in September-October.

However already now it is clear that any of applicants on "Leader" will need serious updating of capacities, notes the edition.

Has already begun modernization of Severnaya Shipyard worth about 20 billion rubles of OSK. Reconstruction of Baltzavod taking into account construction of dry dock, according to Kadilov, will demand 12,5 billion rubles. At the same time, according to him, the idea to sell a part of territories of the plant under the housing estate was discussed at one of meetings with the Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov and on this money to modernize Severnaya Verf and other enterprises.

OSK doesn't hide that "optimization" of assets of BS really is considered. However, it is claimed, that "there is no talking about closing of any part of production and it was never conducted".

Minpromtorg has reported to the Kommersant that the ministry has no information on the fact of selling of a part of BS, and that "such initiative isn't discussed".

Source: TASS