MOSCOW, January 23 (AVN) - The St. Petersburg Severnaya Verf shipyard is planning to build up to 40 vessels of Project 01010-Valdai, Boris Kuzyk, director general of the New Programmes and Concepts holding company, told the Military News Agency on Tuesday.
The keel of the first Valdai bulk carrier, designated St. Apostle Andrew, will be laid on Friday, Kuzyk said.
According to him, the shipyard will build 10 general purpose river-sea class vessels within 36 months fulfilling the order of the North-western sea steamship line. The first vessel is to be delivered to the customer in 14 months.
Having completed production of the 10 bulk carriers, Severnaya verf will build another 25-30 vessels of such type, Kuzyk said. Russia's demand in such ships is estimated at some 130 vessels.
A peculiar feature of the project is the fact that both the Severnaya Verf shipyard and North-western sea steamship line are part of the New Programmes and Concepts holding that handles the assets of Russian hi-tech enterprises, said Kuzyk. Thus, we witness a loop cycle of production, operation, modernisation, repairs and scrapping vessels within a single Russian holding company.
Kuzyk stressed that production of bulk carriers is part of a the holding's programme aimed at restructuring and diversification of the shipyard's production.
A long-term co-operation programme involving Severnaya Verf, the Russian Navy and Russian Agency for Shipbuilding is expected to be signed at the shipyard right after the first vessel's keel is laid.