OPK sets its sight on North
On Wednesday Baltiysky Zavod shipyard launched diesel-electric icebreaker Saint Petersburg. However, the fate of the shipyard itself is still undetermined: management of the United Industrial Corporation (OPK) holds to its plans related to the shipyard though saying the company is to work as long as it has orders. Meanwhile, the other company of the OPK – Shipbuilding plant Severnaya Verf – is to get an order from Gazprom on production of vessels for shelf development. At the same time private shipyards count on close cooperation with the United Shipbuilding Corporation based on the principles of public-private partnership.
As OPK BOD chairman Aleksandr Gnusarev told yesterday, Baltiysky Zavod would implement its production plan depending on orders. "I think it is very important for us to have RosMorPort as a customer. We consider it to be the target niche of Baltiysky Zavod,” he said. It should be noted that diesel-electric icebreaker Saint Petersburg is the second vessel of the series built by the shipyard for RosMorPort. Last week, Director General of Baltiysky Zavod Aleksandr Chistov told the company continued normal operation with backlog of orders making RUR 10 billion till 2010. As of today, there is no threat to stevedoring companies operating at the shipyard’s berths as they may only get in the way if major customer appears to build large-capacity vessels. "Everything depends on the yard’s orders,” Aleksandr Gnusarev says “though I don’t think any customers with such orders are likely to come in the nearest years.”
However, OPK is sure the issue of the day is not the move of Baltiysky Zavod but the creation of a new up-to-date shipbuilding complex in Russia. As it is known, OPK plans to create it on the basis of shipbuilding plant Severnaya Verf. The complex is to build commercial vessels, LNG carriers, icebreakers, ice-class vessels and offshore drilling platforms as well as all types of surface naval ships including aircraft carriers.
"We believe the meeting held by the Prime Minister in St. Petersburg gave a fresh impetus to shipbuilding in Russia,” Aleksandr Gnusarev said. “It is very important to form shipbuilding program as soon as possible which depends on customers.” As of today, the customers of OPK companies are RosMorPort and probably Sovcomflot. As for naval shipbuilding, OPK may get orders from the Ministry of Defense or export orders. OPK management notes today’s economy growth requiring significant volumes of both sea and river transportation.
At the same time the company counts on cooperation with the United Shipbuilding Corporation (OSK) at the principles of public-private partnership emphasizing it is already taking place in terms of both operation and capital interest. State-owned 20% of Severnaya Verf are being transferred to the Western center and state-owned stake of design bureau Iceberg – to the head company. At the meeting dedicated to shipbuilding development held in St. Petersburg by the RF PM Vladimir Putin, the Minister of Industry Viktor Khristenko spoke about new possibilities for PPP instruments in St. Petersburg within the framework of the two projects. First of all, it is cooperation of shipbuilding plant Severnaya Verf with Yantar (Kaliningrad) and the project on construction of new facilities at Vyborg shipyard. “We think both projects are quite promising,” Aleksandr Gnusarev said. “On the one hand, private capital is to participate in implementation of the orders; on the other hand, Russia will get necessary vessels." However, Gnusarev said public-private partnership would prove out after OSK forming is completed.
According to OPK, one of the major tasks for the nearest future is shelf development, which requires new fleet to participate in exploration and production of hydrocarbons. As of today, Arctic shelf contains some 30% of all hydrocarbon resources. According to Aleksandr Gnusarev, Russia has definite priorities in its development.
OPK currently holds negotiations with Gazprom on large orders with Severnaya Verf. In April, Gazprom delegation visited Severnaya Verf within the framework of a meeting dedicated to the potential of Russian ship building and machine building companies in constructing vessels and special equipment to carry out Gazprom's high-priority projects on the Arctic shelf. In the frames of the trip the Gazprom delegation considered the ability of the company to construct offshore drilling platforms, supply vessels as well as LNG transportation vessels for the Arctic shelf development. OPK says Gazprom experts familiarized themselves with the plants’ production plans, possibilities and modernization prospects. “Gazprom management has appreciated our results and our plans,” Aleksandr Gnusarev tells. “We had demonstrated vessels being built for Norwegian customer – supply vessels, which are in high demand for shelf development.” According to OPK, Gazprom is to determine its production plan and to place orders in the nearest future. If Gazprom places its orders with OPK, the corporation will purchase new equipment from Korean Daewoo, specially for the order implementation.
According to Gnusarev, Gazprom will require 100 supply vessels, some 20 gas carriers and 20 drilling platforms. It should be noted that first orders related to the development of Shtokman field were placed at Vyborg shipyard. In August 2007, the companies signed a contract for construction of two offshore drilling platforms valued RUR 59 billion. Besides, in early April Vyborg shipyard also signed a contract with Sovcomflot on cooperation including construction of vessels for transportation of liquefied gas carriers, chemical tankers, semi-submersible oil rigs, supply vessels and industrial ships for shelf development. Earlier Sovcomflot and Gazprom subsidiary Gazflot concluded an agreement on servicing Gazprom’s current and future projects at the shelf of the Arctic region. However OPK considers this agreement to be a positive fact as it is a Russian company to participate in the project implementation. Besides, it underlines that one company will not be capable of covering all the demands of Gazprom within the framework of such an ambitious project and the whole shipbuilding industry of Russia should be ready to participate.
Mariya Mokeicheva
As OPK BOD chairman Aleksandr Gnusarev told yesterday, Baltiysky Zavod would implement its production plan depending on orders. "I think it is very important for us to have RosMorPort as a customer. We consider it to be the target niche of Baltiysky Zavod,” he said. It should be noted that diesel-electric icebreaker Saint Petersburg is the second vessel of the series built by the shipyard for RosMorPort. Last week, Director General of Baltiysky Zavod Aleksandr Chistov told the company continued normal operation with backlog of orders making RUR 10 billion till 2010. As of today, there is no threat to stevedoring companies operating at the shipyard’s berths as they may only get in the way if major customer appears to build large-capacity vessels. "Everything depends on the yard’s orders,” Aleksandr Gnusarev says “though I don’t think any customers with such orders are likely to come in the nearest years.”
However, OPK is sure the issue of the day is not the move of Baltiysky Zavod but the creation of a new up-to-date shipbuilding complex in Russia. As it is known, OPK plans to create it on the basis of shipbuilding plant Severnaya Verf. The complex is to build commercial vessels, LNG carriers, icebreakers, ice-class vessels and offshore drilling platforms as well as all types of surface naval ships including aircraft carriers.
"We believe the meeting held by the Prime Minister in St. Petersburg gave a fresh impetus to shipbuilding in Russia,” Aleksandr Gnusarev said. “It is very important to form shipbuilding program as soon as possible which depends on customers.” As of today, the customers of OPK companies are RosMorPort and probably Sovcomflot. As for naval shipbuilding, OPK may get orders from the Ministry of Defense or export orders. OPK management notes today’s economy growth requiring significant volumes of both sea and river transportation.
At the same time the company counts on cooperation with the United Shipbuilding Corporation (OSK) at the principles of public-private partnership emphasizing it is already taking place in terms of both operation and capital interest. State-owned 20% of Severnaya Verf are being transferred to the Western center and state-owned stake of design bureau Iceberg – to the head company. At the meeting dedicated to shipbuilding development held in St. Petersburg by the RF PM Vladimir Putin, the Minister of Industry Viktor Khristenko spoke about new possibilities for PPP instruments in St. Petersburg within the framework of the two projects. First of all, it is cooperation of shipbuilding plant Severnaya Verf with Yantar (Kaliningrad) and the project on construction of new facilities at Vyborg shipyard. “We think both projects are quite promising,” Aleksandr Gnusarev said. “On the one hand, private capital is to participate in implementation of the orders; on the other hand, Russia will get necessary vessels." However, Gnusarev said public-private partnership would prove out after OSK forming is completed.
According to OPK, one of the major tasks for the nearest future is shelf development, which requires new fleet to participate in exploration and production of hydrocarbons. As of today, Arctic shelf contains some 30% of all hydrocarbon resources. According to Aleksandr Gnusarev, Russia has definite priorities in its development.
OPK currently holds negotiations with Gazprom on large orders with Severnaya Verf. In April, Gazprom delegation visited Severnaya Verf within the framework of a meeting dedicated to the potential of Russian ship building and machine building companies in constructing vessels and special equipment to carry out Gazprom's high-priority projects on the Arctic shelf. In the frames of the trip the Gazprom delegation considered the ability of the company to construct offshore drilling platforms, supply vessels as well as LNG transportation vessels for the Arctic shelf development. OPK says Gazprom experts familiarized themselves with the plants’ production plans, possibilities and modernization prospects. “Gazprom management has appreciated our results and our plans,” Aleksandr Gnusarev tells. “We had demonstrated vessels being built for Norwegian customer – supply vessels, which are in high demand for shelf development.” According to OPK, Gazprom is to determine its production plan and to place orders in the nearest future. If Gazprom places its orders with OPK, the corporation will purchase new equipment from Korean Daewoo, specially for the order implementation.
According to Gnusarev, Gazprom will require 100 supply vessels, some 20 gas carriers and 20 drilling platforms. It should be noted that first orders related to the development of Shtokman field were placed at Vyborg shipyard. In August 2007, the companies signed a contract for construction of two offshore drilling platforms valued RUR 59 billion. Besides, in early April Vyborg shipyard also signed a contract with Sovcomflot on cooperation including construction of vessels for transportation of liquefied gas carriers, chemical tankers, semi-submersible oil rigs, supply vessels and industrial ships for shelf development. Earlier Sovcomflot and Gazprom subsidiary Gazflot concluded an agreement on servicing Gazprom’s current and future projects at the shelf of the Arctic region. However OPK considers this agreement to be a positive fact as it is a Russian company to participate in the project implementation. Besides, it underlines that one company will not be capable of covering all the demands of Gazprom within the framework of such an ambitious project and the whole shipbuilding industry of Russia should be ready to participate.
Mariya Mokeicheva