Trawlers stuck on the slipway

Fishermen believe that the vessels under the first stage of investment quotas will be commissioned much later than the contract terms: crab fishers – in 2026-2027, and trawlers – in the early 2030s. The reason is the need for redesign, shortage or slow replacement of equipment available in friendly countries. Shipbuilders consider these estimates to be overly pessimistic, noting that customers treat the shift in terms, as a rule, with understanding.

According to the All-Russian Association of Fishery Enterprises, Entrepreneurs and Exporters (VARPE), vessels under the first stage of investment quotas will be commissioned much later than scheduled: fishing vessels will be completed in 2030-2031 at best, crab fishers – in 2026-2027. In general, readiness for orders, according to the association, is 18-61%. Of the 57 vessels, 24 lack sets of equipment, construction on 17 has been suspended, and on three, construction has not begun at all.

VARPE notes that there are common problems with the projects of trawlers ordered by the RPKK from Admiralty Shipyards (a contract for ten units due by the end of 2025) and Norebo Group of Companies from Severnaya Verf (ten ships until 2025), there are common problems. Since the imposition of sanctions, the only manufacturer of high-power diesel engines in China (Guangzhou Diesel Engine Factory) has been found that can be applied to these projects, supply contracts have not yet been signed. Also, VARPE notes, the piston group, fuel equipment, crankshafts are made in Germany. “Separate certificates are issued for these products, which indicate the identification number of the vessel,” the organization says. “Consequently, the final recipient of the products will be visible, which entails the risk of non-delivery.” According to the WARPE, the contract with RPKK will be completed no earlier than 2030-2031, with Norebo – no earlier than 2030.

Another problem is the chipping of installations. “As a rule, suppliers of diesel engines, variable-pitch propellers, refurbishment units use the so-called chipping: without the appropriate key or password, it is impossible to make adjustments and settings of mechanisms,” they explain in VARPE. “Hacking a password, as a rule, leads to the fact that most of the functions and adjustments become unavailable. This problem is relevant for the order from Admiralty Shipyards, as well as for the contract for eight crab fishermen, which the Nakhodka Shipyard must complete in 2024: Caterpillar diesel generators delivered to the first five ships are chipped, VARPE notes.

“Investment quotas are steadily turning into a black hole in the Russian economy, comparable to the late Soviet scale of construction in progress,” says German Zverev, president of the VARPE. The huge projected demand for sophisticated marine equipment, complemented by orders for parts and accessories, will require a complete redesign of ships under construction, he adds.

Not all market participants agree with the conservative assessment of VARPE. “The deadlines for the delivery of fishing vessels are from 2025 to 2028, crab vessels – 2025, except for vessels based on the results of later auctions in 2020-2021,” says Alexei Osintsev, president of the Association of Fishing Fleet Shipowners. observed, no.” According to him, delays due to failures in the supply of equipment and the need for redesign have already been taken into account: the regulatory period for the construction of fishing vessels has been extended from five to seven years, and “shipyards building crab fishers are on schedule, so for them the regulatory period of five years has not been extended.

“Indeed, there are difficulties that have arisen due to sanctions, but work on the construction of ships at the shipyard continues, two crab boats of project 5712LS have already been launched,” says Vladimir Maizusa, director of the Onega shipbuilding and ship repair plant. a search for equipment to replace undelivered items has begun. Now ships are being equipped with equipment manufactured in the Russian Federation and friendly countries.” The project is currently on schedule, he adds. “I believe that construction under the investment quota project must be continued, despite the objective difficulties,” says Mr. Mayzus. “If construction is suspended, it will be very difficult for shipyards to resume the process.”

“Due to circumstances beyond the control of the shipbuilders, the fulfillment of orders is hampered by the termination of deliveries of components from unfriendly countries, including after payment for these deliveries (estimated in billions of rubles),” USC told Kommersant. “Search for replacement equipment in the domestic and world markets, redesign orders — all this involves specifying the parameters of the contracts, including the timing of construction.” Most of the customers are approaching the current situation with understanding and with proposals for options for replacing equipment, they say in USC.

The Federal Agency for Fishery also notes that foreign suppliers have stopped deliveries of certain types of ship components and, in order to find alternatives, it was decided to extend the first stage of investment quotas for two years. Deputy head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade Viktor Yevtukhov told Kommersant that the current construction under the investment quota program should be completed by 2027. Often, when ordering projects, customers initially focused on foreign projects, he notes, which makes it necessary to adapt projects and adjust them. In the future, he stressed, it is necessary to focus on import substitution of component equipment positions, planning the supply of analogues from friendly countries and localizing production on the territory of the Russian Federation.

Natalya Skorlygina