According to Kommersant sources, the updated plan for loading the superstar Zvezda being built by Rosneft, Rosneftegaz and Gazprombank (GPB) is one-third lower than the estimated one, on the basis of which the project's payback is calculated. To compensate for shrinking orders, it is proposed to require ship customers to conclude new contracts with the shipyard. This, according to Kommersant, could affect NOVATEK, which needs 15 gas carriers for the Arctic LNG-2 project, as well as other major players - Atomflot, Gazprom, LUKOIL, SIBUR, Norilsk Nickel and the Defense Ministry. In addition, United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) plans to fight for these orders.

As sources told Kommersant familiar with the situation, shipyard Zvezda (owned by the consortium of Rosneft, Rosneftegaz and GPB), which was being built in the Far East, after the order plan was updated until 2035, 30% of the load was missed. Now in terms of 118 ships, while the government approved the settlement program in 178 units. The volume of orders was laid in the payback of the project and included the effects of seriality and scale of production, the interlocutors of "Kommersant" note. According to Kommersant's information, to compensate, Zvezda insists on a binding contract in 2018 for 15 gas carriers of the Arc7 ice class for NOVATEK's Arctic LNG. But NOVATEK, the interlocutors of "Kommersant" say, proposes to conclude a contract based on the competition.

On November 21, at the meeting in Rosoboronexport on the Northern Sea Route (see "Kommersant" on June 22) Alexander Chumak from the department of localization of engineering and technology of Rosneft spoke about the negotiations of NOVATEK with the shipyard. According to him, we are talking about the order for 15 gas carriers, in 2022, 2024 and 2025 it is planned to hand over five vessels. Rosneft does not comment on the topic.

NOVATEK said that in 2016 they agreed with Zvezda on a schedule for placing orders for gas carriers for the Arctic LNG, while Zvezda was to provide technical and economic proposals and construction guarantees in the first half of 2018, but for now did not. NOVATEK added that they "do not doubt" that the shipyard will be completed in time to build ships for the "Arctic LNG" in accordance with the requirements for products produced in the Russian Federation. " It is assumed that the tenders for construction "directly at the Zvezda shipyard" should be completed before the end of 2019, and in the first quarter of 2020, construction contracts will be signed between Zvezda and the shipowners on the basis of time charter contracts.

In the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Kommersant has said that increasing the loading of Russian shipyards is one of the priorities, and Zvezda is no exception. They recalled amendments to the Code of Merchant Shipping (they were discussed at a meeting on June 21, they de facto prohibit the use of new vessels built abroad in the Arctic since 2019). But the agency does not believe that this is a mechanism that obliges companies to place orders at a certain shipyard, but "to consolidate the priority of using domestic ships," which will be an additional incentive for loading shipyards, including the "Stars". In USC they say that they know about the plans of the "Star" to "get as many orders as possible" and support the competition of shipyards.

According to Kommersant, Zvezda has contracts for 25 vessels for Rosneft, the company's orders for 14 servicing ships (2022-2035), nine offshore drilling rigs (2018-2032), nine production platforms 2022-2031). Zvezda also counts on four shallow-draft icebreakers for FSUE Rosmorport (the contract for the first was signed at SPIEF-2018, for the project see Kommersant on September 8, 2017), 19 ships for Gazprom, 22 for NOVATEK and 13 gas carriers and icebreaking vessels for Sovcomflot (GFR).

In Gazprom, Kommersant was informed that they continue work on placing orders for ships and marine equipment at Zvezda in accordance with the long-term plan for its loading and the agreements reached. According to the source of Kommersant, at the end of 2017 Gazprom agreed in advance with Zvezda on five vessels, contracts can be signed before the end of this year. Another interlocutor of Kommersant says that in 2016 Gazprom did not rule out the possibility of placing 28 serving vessels and two drilling vessels on Zvezda. In the GFR, Kommersant's questions about the Zvezda program were redirected to the shipyard and the Ministry of Industry and Trade, adding that the company is continuing negotiations on its part of the orders.

At the same time, Kommersant sources say, it is proposed to include the nuclear icebreakers LK-60 and LK-120 for Atomflot (included in Rosatom), research and expedition vessels, seismic vessels and services for the launch of the Star. RAS, Roshydromet and Rosgeology. In addition, Zvezda is waiting for orders from oil and gas companies (Tatneft, LUKOIL), Sibur, Norilsk Nickel, FESCO, the Ministry of Defense, and others.

The head of Atomflot, Vyacheslav Ruksha, recalled that Rosatom noted that the fourth and fifth LK-60 should be built at the USC Baltzavod. The construction site of the Leader will be determined by an interdepartmental working group led by the Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov, who supervises the defense industry complex, the top manager adds (as Kommersant reported, the decision is expected in July). The main task of Russian shipyards is the exact execution of the terms of construction and the stability of price indicators, concludes Mr. Ruksha. In the USC they say that they will fight for orders, in particular, to claim the construction of nuclear icebreakers.

The director of the Shirshov Institute of Oceanology RAS Aleksey Sokov told Kommersant that the institute was negotiating the construction of scientific research vessels at Zvezda. The issue is limited by the lack of budgetary funding. In Rosgeology, Kommersant confirmed that they are studying the issue of acquiring seismic vessels, "but there is no point in talking about something concrete yet." Roshydromet does not have information on the inclusion of the department's needs in the download plan for the "Star". In "Norilsk Nickel" reported that the company's fleet closes all needs, and in the short term do not plan to increase the number of vessels. In other companies and the Defense Ministry refused to comment.

Head of Infoline-Analytics Mikhail Burmistrov says that the creation of the "Star" should enable companies not only to build ships in Russia, but also to do it on terms that are competitive in terms and cost. This requires real competition between the shipyards, primarily the "Star" and the USC, including the ability to choose the performer at an auction with prequalification or a contest for specific criteria. The requirement of binding contracts and the placement without competition of courts being built at the expense of the budget will lead to unjustified discrimination of USC in favor of the "Star".