New life for Navy shipyards
Two navy shipyards in Murmansk Oblast are about to be modernized to be able to handle civilian orders for the oil and gas sector. Russia’s biggest crane is planned to be placed in Murmansk shipyard no. 35.
The Northern Fleet’s shipyard no. 35 in Murmansk and shipyard no. 82 in Roslyakovo outside Severomorsk, which both are going to be part of the United Shipbuilding Corporation, are planning to renew their production bases to be able to cope with civilian tasks, TV21.ru reports.
The Shipyard no. 35 in Murmansk is preparing to receive a 30 million EUR crane with a lifting capacity of 20 000 tons. This will be the first crane of its type in Russia. The crane will be installed in May 2010 by some 1000 experts from Norway and Vyborg.
Roslyakovo shipyard will get a center for high technology repair of vessels operating in Arctic waters, TV21 writes. Both shipyards will continue to complete orders for the Russian Fleet, and all civilian orders will have to be clarified with the Northern Fleet leadership.
According to TV21, all expenses connected with the modernization will be covered by the United Shipbuilding Corporation and the federal budget.
As BarentsObserver has reported, the navy shipyards in Murmansk Oblast have experienced hard times in the last years. Fewer state orders, state debt and non-payment of wages are some of the problems Russian media has written about in 2009. The shipyard in Roslyakovo has been completely depending on state military orders, and wages are paid from the Ministry of Defence. The shipyard is the main employer for the town’s 9600 inhabitants.
