Shipbuilding complex of problems

The United Shipbuilding Corporation (OPK) does not plan postponing implementation of a project on creation of a shipbuilding complex on the basis of shipbuilding plant Severnaya Verf in St. Petersburg. However the volume of investment is to be adjusted due to the economic crisis. Meanwhile the future of Baltiysky Zavod is uncertain – the shipyard has no vessels under construction (the latest icebreaker is expecting the delivery to the customer) though there is a contract for construction of a series of floating nuclear power stations for Energoatom.

Adjustments are not to be escaped

The United Industrial Corporation (OPK, Moscow) has completed drafting of ideology for creation of a shipbuilding complex on the basis of shipbuilding plant Severnaya Verf (St. Petersburg) owned by the Corporation. As PortNews IAA learnt from Andrei Fomichev, Director of the OPK Shipbuilding project, Director General of Severnaya Verf and Baltiysky Zavod, the ideology envisages construction of two production complexes with different specializations. At the first phase, it envisages creation of a shipbuilding complex to build surface ships and specialized vessels exceeding 200 meters in length, at the second phase — creation of a complex to build large-capacity vessels like gas carriers, oil tankers etc.

A schedule and a budget have been approved for primary works of the first phase to be carried out in 2009. However, the OPK does not disclose the budget though it insists the crisis will not influence the project schedule.

When asked by PortNews IAA about investment into the above project, Andrei Fomichev gave a somewhat evasive reply: “The value of the matter will certainly be adjusted as local cost estimate for modernization of the existing and construction of new facilities are leased.”

At the same time the OPK earlier announced the project investments of RUR 14 bln so a conclusion may be drawn that the change of the economic situation will after all have its impact on the project implementation.

Baltiysky passions

It should be reminded that the OPK collected a lot of brickbats from representatives of the legislative authorities and the city community when the plans to demolish Baltiysky Zavod were revealed. Up to this moment the future of on of the largest shipyards of St. Petersburg is uncertain. “The OPK shipyards are an integrated production complex operating through close interaction. The transfer of any facilities depends on economic and technological reasonability,” Andrei Fomichev says.

Apparently, the comment of the OPK representative could be treated as an announcement that the issue on the plant facilities’ transfer has not been finally solved yet.

According to Aleksandr Olkhovski, Chairman of the Permanent Committee on Industry, Economics and Property under St. Petersburg Legislative Assembly, the transfer of Baltiysky Zavod facilities entails a number of "hidden rocks".

Closing the existing facilities of Baltiysky Zavod means loss of a t least one third of its qualified personnel as not all employees will agree to work at another shipyard in a different part of the city. The personnel is equally important here as metal. So the process of implementing the project on creation of the OPK shipbuilding complex in St. Petersburg should take into account state interests. It is a systemic problem which should be solved without haste,” Aleksandr Olkhovski says.

This raises the question of a possibility to include Baltiysky Zavod into the United Shipbuilding Corporation (OSK) under the states wardship. The OPK does not comment this having noted that the state-owned stake of Severnaya Verf has already been handed over to the Western Center of Shipbuilding, while Baltiysky Zavod and Severnaya Verf is an integrated shipbuilding complex. Nevertheless, Baltiysky Zavod is not in the list of OSK companies. It should be noted that the state is not among the company’s shareholders except for the "golden share" of the city government.

According to Aleksandr Olkhovski, Petersburg lawmakers have already raised a question on inclusion of the plant into the state corporation. “However, it appears that the state and the OPK failed to agree on the value of the matter or some strategic interests of ownership,” the deputy thinks though according to his personal opinion it would be reasonable to include the company into OSK provided that it secures state orders and corresponding financing. “It would make no sense to include the shipyard into the OSK exclusively for expansion of the corporation’s assets,” Aleksandr Olkhovski underlines.

It should be noted that the Sankt-Peterburg icebreaker is currently expecting the delivery to the customer at Baltiysky Zavod. Apart from this, there is a contract for creation of a head floating power generating unit project 20870 for a low power TPP (LPTPP). The unit is to be delivered to the customer and put into operation at the basing site in Q IV of 2012 after testing it with LPTPP. The fixed contract price is RUR 9,983 bln (including inflation adjustment for the entire construction period).