MOSCOW. Jan 31 (Interfax-AVN) - No additional investment from the Russian budget may be needed for the construction of the Russian Black Sea Fleet maintenance base in the Novorossiysk Ship Repair Plant, Valery Bindas, vice-president for corporate governance and property at the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC), told reporters.
"Our only option is the Novorossiysk Ship Repair Plant. A federal program is currently implemented for the Temryuk Ship Repair Plant. It has been signed. However, they will only work with third and fourth rank ships," Bindas said.
All shareholders of Transneft and Summa Group have supported the construction of a Black Sea Fleet maintenance base, he said. "They are ready to even invest their own money in ship repair. We won't need state funding for this construction," he said.
The Russian government's military industry commission will meet in Novorossiysk at the beginning of next week to discuss issues relating to the construction of the base and the provision of land for it, he said.
Bindas recalled that the first diesel submarine for the Black Sea Fleet will enter the Novorossiysk in November 2014. "Consequently, there is no other way out. We can't not have a base there. The first sub will go in late 2014, the next will go in late 2015. This means we have two years at the most for it," he said.
The plant is now a structure of the Novorossiysk Sea Trade Port, which is controlled by Transneft and Summa Group, but is used as a cargo terminal. USC holds a 30% stake in the plant.