Zvezda Shipbuilding Gets USD3.09bln

Over 202 billion rubles ($3.09 billion) will be allocated for the construction of the Zvezda shipbuilding complex in Russia's Far Eastern Primorsky Region, of which 66 billion rubles have already been given.

According to Sputnik, the Zvezda shipyard, once completed, will comprise production facilities and workshops for that will be used to build marine equipment, including gas carriers, tankers and nuclear icebreakers.

The report quoted Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov saying that Zvezda had already signed deals with major Russian companies to build 37 vessels.

Under the capital investment plan, the total capital investment in the Zvezda shipbuilding complex is estimated at 202.2 billion rubles, the report said.

The project is currently being financed from investors' funds.  As of now, around 66 billion rubles have been allocated for the construction of the shipyard. Russia's Rosneft, Rosneftegaz and Gazprombank were contributing to the construction project.

"We're also planning to create the world's most powerful nuclear icebreaker Lider [Leader], which will be used in the Northeast Passage. Work [on the project] continues," Borisov added.

He specified that Primorsky Region's shipbuilders had ordered the construction of vessels worth over 30 billion rubles for the Russian Navy.