MURMANSK, March 27. /TASS/. The Novatek Company will invest more than 25 billion rubles (almost $417 million) in organization of the Center for construction of large-capacity marine facilities in the Murmansk region’s Belokamenka village. The construction will be a part of the Arctic LNG-2 project on development of the Gydana deposits, the region’s Minister of Economic Development Elena Tikhonova told TASS on Monday.

"The large-capacity shipyard, investments in which are planned at 25 billion rubles, will provide thousands jobs, will attract to the region highly qualified specialists and will give additional orders to the local enterprises," the minister said.

Project for gas plants

Novatek’s project includes construction of a special shipyard, where unique marine facilities could be made - gravitational concrete pads for LNG plants, drilling and development platforms for shelf projects in the Arctic’s western sector and large-capacity facilities which could provide for work of the Northern Sea Route. The project would also favor replacement of earlier imported products as well as further localization of technologies in the region.

A year earlier, the region’s ministry said, the company finished development works at the site where the center will be organized. This year, the investor plans to receive an official permission for the construction.

In early 2016, the region granted to the project the status of an investment project, thus, allowing rent of land for the implementation, skipping mandatory competition. The ministry’s working group will be involved in providing human resources for the project, attracting local specialists. Later on, as the company presents the project’s financial model, reflecting its economic, budget and social effectiveness, the regional government will consider tax benefits for 5 taxation periods.

Work on project continues

Construction of the large-capacity facilities’ center should be completed by 2020. Now the project is at the pre-investment stage. The project will be implemented by the Kola Shipyard Company, Novatek’s subsidiary.

The company’s specialists continue working at the future construction site. The region’s government said earlier, in case of a favorable scenario, the shipyard’s construction may begin this year already. Construction of the first marine LNG plants will begin in 2018.

Implementation of the Arctic projects will be discussed at the upcoming IV international forum Arctic: Territory of Dialogue, due in Arkhangelsk on March 29-30. Since 2010, the forum is a main platform for discussing development of the Arctic region.

Organizers expect about 1,500 attendees from Russia and from abroad this year. TASS is the forum’s general information partner.