MOSCOW, April 25 (RIA Novosti) – Russia is considering a plan for shipbuilding companies in Crimea and Sevastopol, which are currently idle or working under capacity, to build tankers for shipping liquefied natural gas from the country’s Arctic fields, the Ministry of Industry and Trade said Friday.
"One of the options for filling the bag orders of the shipbuilding yards is being developed by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and it is the possibility of building LNG carriers for shipping liquefied natural gas from the Russian Arctic oil fields,” the ministry said in a statement.
“This initiative is discussed with OJSC Sovcomflot, OJSC Gazprom and OJSC Novatek. Ships with such characteristics (300 meters in length and 50 meters in width) can be already built in the Zalyv Shipyard,” the statement said.
Apart from Zalyv, a number of other large shipbuilding enterprises in Crimea are ready to fulfill orders from Russian clients, including the Feodosia shipbuilding company Morye, the Sevastopol Marine Plant, and the MIK Shipyard.
Russian President Vladimir Putin noted during a question and answer session with the public earlier this month that there are many viable businesses in Crimea that require additional investment and modernization. He particularly noted as promising such industries as shipbuilding as well as port infrastructure.
