It is not only the USA that has great ambitions in shipbuilding: In Russia, too, shipyards are soon to be working at full speed again.
The government presented plans on Monday to modernize and expand the national fleet. Thousands of ships are to be built by 2050. The cost: around 500 billion roubles.
Since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, the shipbuilding industry in the world’s largest country has been severely affected by Western sanctions. The necessary know-how, technology and machinery that would otherwise have been supplied to Russia are missing. This deficit is now to be compensated for – with ambitious plans.
Mikhail Mishustin, Russian Prime Minister, presented an updated strategy for the development of the shipbuilding industry at a meeting of prime ministers. According to this strategy, domestic capacities are to be expanded in order to compensate for the lack of imports. A domestic supply chain is also to be established.
“Over the next six years, we will spend over 500 billion roubles (€5.56 billion, editor’s note) in federal funds for these purposes – a record amount for the industry,” said Mishustin. He explained that the priorities would be to support freight transport via the Northern Sea Route and the development of logistics routes between Russia and friendly countries. Inland shipping and the expansion of river tourism are also to be promoted. The plan has already been presented and approved, according to the Prime Minister.
Russia wants to build thousands of ships
The existing fleet needs to be replaced, explained Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov. Some of the Russian ships were built in the 1970s. The fleet is to be comprehensively renewed by 2050: The plan envisages between 1,600 and 2,600 newbuildings. Earlier reports also stated that around 700 ships are to be built by 2030. This means that the shipyards, some of which still have to be built themselves, have a lot to do. The government wants to create 190,000 new jobs by 2036, which means growth of 15%.
The plan focuses on oil and gas tankers and bulkers, but icebreakers and fishing vessels are also mentioned. 51 ships are to be deployed on the North Sea route, and large capacities will also be allocated to the north-south route through the Caspian Sea.
A separate plan is to be drawn up for defense. However, it is already clear that the Russian navy will also be modernized and upgraded. In order to achieve this, the requirements of military shipbuilding are to be coordinated with the expansion of the merchant fleet.
Russia is not alone in these maritime ambitions. The USA has also announced its intention to invest massively in national shipbuilding. The “SHIPS for America Act” aims to build a merchant fleet of 250 ships by 2035. India is also planning to become a global power in shipbuilding and shipping with its “Vision 2047”. The undisputed biggest player in the shipbuilding industry is currently China: around 75% of all newbuilds in the global order book are built at Chinese shipyards. (JW)
