MOSCOW, September 18. /TASS/. The State Transport Leasing Company (STLC), the Federal Agency for Fisheries (Rosrybolovstvo), and the Murmansk Region's government will cooperate in creating a modern ship repair complex in Murmansk, where STLC will invest in the project more than 20 billion rubles ($219 million), the company's press service told reporters.

"The State Transport Leasing Company (STLC), the Federal Agency for Fisheries (Rosrybolovstvo), and the Murmansk Region's government have signed a cooperation agreement to have a corporate structure to create a modern ship repair complex in Murmansk," the press service said.

The design is due to be completed by the end of 2025. The complex will be built and put it into operation in stages. STLC plans to offer ship repair and maintenance services as early as in 2025, the company added.

"The annual design capacity will allow dock and surface repairs to up to 90 vessels of the merchant and fishing fleet. Investments in the project are estimated at more than 20 billion rubles," the press service said. "STLC plans to use extensively the opportunities that the Murmansk Region opens up for investors, including to have the project become a business resident of the Capital of Arctic [advanced-development territory]."

"The new ship repair complex in Murmansk is a solution for the shortage of ship repair facilities; it will ensure the fleet's safe operation in the Russian Arctic Zone," the company's CEO Evgeny Dietrich said. "By using the complex, we make sure dozens of billions of rubles will remain in the country's economy. The cluster format will favor involving manufacturers of marine equipment and components. The new complex will be an R&D base and a center for special training to develop own competencies in this sphere and to achieve the industry's technological independence."

Rosrybolovstvo's head, Ilya Shestakov, stressed stable operation of the fisheries complex requires upgraded port infrastructures to serve civil and commercial fleet. This is the purpose to organize the cluster-type ship repair complex in the Murmansk Region. "Due to cooperation of organizations and due to involved small and medium businesses, a modern ship repair enterprise will provide high-quality, competitive services. Small, medium and large vessels will be serviced there. The project provides for the construction of a floating repair dock, equipment of open and closed slipways," he added.

The Murmansk Region's Governor Andrey Chibis noted that together with the STLC the region had worked out in detail all aspects of that large-scale project. "Ship repair is of historical importance for the Murmansk Region," he said. "The existing enterprises have competencies, but there is a problem of high deterioration, since there have not been sufficient investments since the Soviet times. Together with our partners, Rosrybolovstvo and the Russian government, we have been working to develop ship repair and, additionally, to have a new, shipbuilding, industry in our region.".