As the Kommersant newspaper reported in the article by Tatyana Dyatel, "USC is at low speed. The Corporation plans to produce its own marine engines," the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) intends to independently create a line of low-speed marine engines with a capacity of 5-15 MW for medium and large-tonnage shipbuilding. Investments are tentatively estimated at 200 billion rubles. The Sinara group has similar plans. The proposed line covers the needs of ships with a deadweight of up to 120 thousand tons needed for the development of the Northern Sea Route. But experts believe that it is more logical for Sinare and USC to act together.
The world's most powerful (63.84 MW at 80 rpm) dual-fuel low-speed diesel marine engine 12X92DF-2.0 manufactured by the Chinese company Shanghai CSSC Mitsui Diesel Engine (as part of the Chinese State Shipbuilding Corporation CSSC), 2024 (c) Shanghai CSSC Mitsui Diesel Engine
USC is exploring the possibility of creating a line of low-speed marine engines (MOD) for 5, 8, 10 and 15 MW for medium and large-tonnage marine vessels at its own facilities through reengineering, sources familiar with the plans say. This line covers the needs for engines for cargo ships with deadweight from 40 thousand to 120 thousand tons. According to Kommersant's sources, USC is currently conducting pre-design work.
The possibility of producing machines at the Severnaya Verf is being considered, but there is no decision yet.
The project will require up to 200 billion rubles of investments, the implementation period is about five to six years, the interlocutors of Kommersant say.
Kommersant's sources do not specify which engine will be the base for reengineering, noting that, most likely, these will be Chinese cars. Last year, the government transferred USC, the largest ship manufacturer in the Russian Federation, to VTB Bank. The new management plans to increase the construction of medium- and large-tonnage vessels.
Russian enterprises produce engines with a maximum capacity of up to 7.5 MW, but large-tonnage civil shipbuilding requires low-speed engines of higher power, which are not yet produced in the Russian Federation. Deliveries of foreign engines became impossible after the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine, as the shipbuilding industry of the Russian Federation was under total sanctions. Previously, the main suppliers of engines in the Russian Federation were German MAN, Finnish Wartsila, Swiss WINGD, Japanese Japan Engine Corporation.
VTB forwarded Kommersant's request to USC, where they declined to comment. The Ministry of Industry and Trade did not respond to Kommersant's request.
As Kommersant wrote on February 13, the Sinara group is ready to act as a partner of the state in a project to produce low-speed marine engines with a capacity of over 10 MW for gas carriers, tankers, bulk carriers, container ships. The total cost of the project was estimated at 190 billion rubles, the first samples can be ready within five years.
The interlocutors of Kommersant note that USC intends to implement its plans to create MODS without the participation of Sinara.
In September, the first deputy head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Vasily Osmakov, stated that the ministry sets the task of creating an engineering center for the development of high-power mods with the participation of Sinara. "We plan to do this with Sinara, it is such a mini-nuclear project, one can say, in terms of complexity," said Mr. Osmakov. On October 7, the head of Sinara, Viktor Lesh, reported that in the shortest possible time, the company "will have to create a national production of high-power mods, which, according to technical characteristics, will be at or above world analogues."
Nadezhda Malysheva from PortNews notes that the basic task is to create a so-called 2 MW single piston system, which can then be broadcast at high power. The proposed line, according to her, is suitable for all types of vessels up to Aframax class tankers with a deadweight of up to 120 thousand tons, which are needed for the development of the Northern Sea Route. "The engines will be in demand, they can be made in five years, but the issue will largely rest on personnel," she believes. Mikhail Burmistrov, CEO of Infoline Analytics, believes that it would be more logical for USC to implement the project in partnership with Sinara or Transmashholding, which already have key competencies.
