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Zhatai Shipyard’s construction begins in Yakutia

Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov said the ministry plans the construction will be over in 2021

YAKUTSK, April 26. /TASS/. Construction of a shipyard to upgrade the Lena United River Shipping Company’s vessels in Yakutia began on Friday. The official ceremony featured Russia’s Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov and the region’s Governor Aisen Nikolayev.

The project’s term is 2019-2021. The new shipyard will serve and upgrade vessels of the Lena United River Shipping Company, which delivers cargo to Yakutia’s Arctic districts. According to the company, the average age of its fleet’s vessels is 35 years.

"We plan the construction will be over in 2021, and we shall have a modern shipyard, which will work with Russia’s other shipbuilding companies to produce a wide range of vessels: for transportation of both cargo and hydrocarbons," the minister said. "We, of course, hope to have new modern vessels for tourists, so that the [Lena] basin could offer a full spectrum of services."

Yakutia’s governor expressed confidence the new shipyard will rescue the regional navigation.

"In 2022, the shipyard will launch into water the first new vessel," he said.

TASS wrote earlier the project includes construction of about ten river vessels and upgrade of six vessels. The shipyard will recycle at least two vessels a year. Yakutia will receive for the construction about 4.2 billion rubles ($64.8 million) from the federal budget.

The Lena United River Shipping Company (owned by Yakutia’s government) is the only transport company, which serves river transportation to Yakutia’s Arctic regions. The shipping company owns more than 350 cargo, towing, passenger and auxiliary vessels with a total capacity of 450,000 tons. The Zhatai ship service base was built in 1943.