Baltiysky Zavod JSC

Kosaya Liniya 16, 
199106 St. Petersburg, Russia
Phone:   +7 812 324 93 70
Fax:   +7 812 327 71 90
E-mail:   marketing@bz.ru
          

Baltiysky Zavod (Baltic Factory) is situated in the South-Western part of the Vassilievski Island on the Big Neva embankment in St. Petersburg. Of the three main shipyards in the city - Severnaya Verf, Baltiysky Zavod and Admiralteyskiye Verfi - Baltiysky primarily built large nuclear ships, while Severnaya specializes in smaller non-nuclear ones and Admiralteyskiye in submarines. Founded in May of 1856, Baltiysky is one of the oldest shipbuilding yards of Russia.

The enterprise is specializing in complex high-technology large ships, including nuclear-powered ones. In the past, these were mostly warships; nowadays, Baltiysky Zavod has a number of interesting projects to offer to the Russian and international civilian market. These are icebreaking transport ships, nuclear- and diesel-powered floating power stations, offshore supply and service ships, floating desalting plants.

Baltiysky shipyard is self contained and has the facilities of all necessary supporting industries: engineering department, woodwork production, marine machine building, power engineering, metallurgical production, research and development department and the shipyard itself with three slipways. The enterprise has three construction slips. The 350-meter "A" slip is the biggest in Russia, allowing to launch hulls up to 100,000 tons in deadweight. Superstructure blocks can be installed afloat using the Demag 350-ton floating crane with 50 m hoisting height. The deep-draft outfitting quay is 245 m long and 15 m wide, its depth is 10 m near the bank. Metal processing and production of parts is carried out in the steel treatment and cutting workshop put into operation in 2001-2003 and being one of the most up-to-date shops in Europe. It enables processing of abt. 60,000 tons of metal per year. The shop has a large covered steel warehouse.

One of the leading enterprises of the defense industry of the former Soviet Union, Baltiysky Zavod, after the disintegration of the USSR, became the only shipyard in Russia capable of constructing commercial vessels with full displacement up to 100,000 tons. Baltiysky shipyard is self contained and had the facilities of all necessary supporting industries: engineering department, woodwork production, marine machine building, power engineering, metallurgical production, research and development department and the shipyard itself with three slipways.

In 2006, the shipyard celebrated its 150th anniversary. During this century-and-a-half period, the shipyard had delivered over 500 naval ships, submarines, and commercial vessels. Since the day of its foundation, the shipyard has been among the first to undertake new shipbuilding projects subsequently taken up by other yards. Its slipways launched Russia's first all-metal warship, submarine and battleships. Since its foundation BZ has been oriented for construction of naval ships as well as manufacture of machines and machinery for ships of in-house construction as well as under construction at the other shipyards of Russia. Baltiysky Zavod was the precursor of today's shipbuilding design bureaus Rubin, Malachite and Nevskoye. In 1938 on the basis of the submarine design bureau of the shipyard an independent design office was formed. After multiple transformations it was named "Central Design Bureau for Marine Engineering Rubin".

When the Crimean War came to an end, Russian sailing vessels could not resist the enemy's steamships. Russia had no production facilities for creation of a steam war fleet, and a domestic metallurgic industry did not yet exist. Modern self-propelled ships equipped with rifling guns and firm armour were urgently needed. On 26 May 1856, Matvej Egorovich Karr, a merchant of the first class, and Mark Lvovich Macpherson, a naval architect, established a new enterprise named Baltiysky Foundry, Engineering and Building Works of Karr and Macpherson. In the period 1859 to 1862 a total of ten steam engines of 1800 h.p. each and the same number of centrifugal pumps had been manufactured. In 1862 the Russia's first metal ship, armoured gunboat "Opyt" was built there, and in 1863 the lead monitor "Latnik", the first ship of a series of that class vessels, was launched. Early in 1866 coast defense armoured vessel, frigate "Admiral Lazarev" was laid down. Two cylinder horizontal steam engine of 2,000 h.p. in capacity made from drawings of BZ's designers allowed to the frigate to run at up to 11 knots. "Admiral Lazarev" was so effective that remained on service for a full four decades. This gave a berth to armoured ship building in Russia, progress of which was crowned in 1877 by creation of heavy for those days armour clad "Petr Veliky". For a long time that armour clad was considered as the world's best vessel. All world naval achievements were embodied in her.

In the 1920s and 1930s BZ built dozens of submarines of different types ("D" - "Dekabrist", "Sch" - "Schuka", "K" - "Kreiserskaya" and so on) for Baltic, Black Sea, Northern and Pacific Fleets. In 1925 BZ began implementation of a vast program of commercial and military shipbuilding, including timber carriers of 5,500 tons displacement, merchant, passenger-cargo ships and catcher boats. During the first decade of commercial shipbuilding, BZ constructed 32 ships.

In the 1930s Baltiysky Zavod built a series of destroyers "Storozhevoy", "Gnevny" (7 units) which participated in defense of polar regions, Baltic Sea and in offensive operations during the War. In 1938 BZ built light cruisers "Kirov" and "M.Gorky" of 10,000 tons displacement, 36 knots in speed which actively participated in defense and break of Leningrad's siege and other military operations of the World War II.

During the World War II in conditions of a ferocious siege despite starvation, shelling and bombardments BZ's shipbuilders selflessly worked for the needs of the front - arranged a mass production of ammunition, repaired vessels, built minesweepers, and with other Leningrad shipbuilders arranged barges and tenders construction for the Ladoga Lifeline.

During a one hundred year period (1856-1956) BZ built 115 submarines. In the meantime marine engineering - manufacturing of steam engines, propellers, shafts, different auxiliary machinery - has been developing too. In the same period BZ had been upgrading, with old equipment being replaced by new techniques and technology. A major milestone in the development of BZ in the 1960s was construction of a series of tankers type "Pekin" (displacement 40,000 tons) and "Sophia" (62,000 tons).

In the 1970s BZ constructed heavy nuclear-powered cruisers type "Kirov": 1980 - "Admiral Ushakov"; 1984 - "Admiral Lazarev"; 1988 - "Admiral Nakhimov"; 1998 "Petr Veliky". The vessels of this class are a unique nuclear missile launcher, second to non in the world in this type of cruisers. For commercial fleet BZ built cargo and passenger-cargo ships: tankers, reefers, dry-cargo ships, ro-ro ships, chemical carriers, icebreakers for polar regions, research ships, icebreakers type "Arktika" for navigation all the year round along the Northern Sea Route.

Baltiysky Zavod built a series of unique research vessels and communications ships, meant for provision of missile trials and space programs testing. Thus, in 1987 a floating nuclear-powered command complex of project 1941 «Ural» of 35000 DWT was delivered. The vessel became the largest national ship with atomic propulsion.

All Russian nuclear-powered icebreakers and nuclear-powered surface warships were assembled by the Baltiysky Zavod JSC. Baltiysky Zavod was a supplier of nuclear-powered Icebreakers and naval ships as well as Ro-Ros, dry bulk and chemical carners, special duty ships. It manufactured a wide range of marine products: propellers and blades, shafts, bollers, heat exchangers, fittings. The Yard specializes in modular cabin and furniture production as well as special marine wood items of custom design.

In 1997 UNEXIM Bank, one of the largest Russian banks, bought controlling shares in two of St. Petersburg's largest shipyards: Baltiysky Zavod and Severnaya Shipyard. In December 1997, UNEXIM Bank established the holding company-Baltic Shipyards Inc. The objective of the company is to purchase equipment and materials for the vessels under construction at the shipyards.

In the summer of 1998 there were some financial difficulties of the shipyard caused by the debts of the Yard to Russia's Federal Budget. At the same time, the Russian Government owed Baltiysky for the construction of an atomic icebreaker and an atomic cruiser. However, as of the summer of 1998, the shipyard's management had reasons to believe that they would finish the year without debts.

As of 1998 the largest orders included the construction of containerships for Siowalls AB (Sweden), chemical tankers for another Scandinavian firm, and the construction of three frigates for the Indian Navy. The contract between the government of India and Baltiysky was signed through Rosvooruzhenie. The total contract amount was about USD 1 billion and included three 4,000-ton warships equipped with advanced-guidance missiles, a bombing complex, and a facility for helicopters. However, the August 1998 financial crisis apparently ruined all previous cost estimates, and in the fall of 1998, Baltiysky found itself with a contract but no financing to go ahead with the construction. It was reported that in February 1999, Baltiysky's management was still appealing to various Russian governmental and international financial agencies for credits to fulfill this order.

After several months delay, in early 1999 Baltiysky Zavod started the construction of three war frigates for the Indian Navy. The order for these warships was placed by the Indian Government in 1997. The building of the first frigate was initially scheduled for 1998, but after the August crisis, Baltiysky faced a critical lack of funds to start construction and began to look for credit sources. On March 12, 1999, Baltiysky's managers announced that the financial problem had been resolved and held an official ceremony of laying the keel of the first warship for India.

After several difficult months of uncertainty about Baltiysky's future, the shipyard made a very important step forward by starting to work on India's order. Baltiysky's success in attracting a lender can mean the revival of the yard's other international contract orders and an opportunity to stabilize the firm's financial position by receiving regular payments for several years. Baltic Shipyard re-started negotiations with the Industrial Development Corporation of Scandinavia (Norway) on building four 5,700 dwt chemical tankers. This order was estimated at about USD 70 million.

The first two warships for India were planned for completion by 2002 and the third by 2003 -- in fact, they were in 2003 and 2004.

On 31 October 2005 Baltiysky Zavod JSC commenced on mooring trials of nuclear powered icebreaker 50 Let Pobedy. The trials were carried out without putting to sea and were aimed at checking of all ship's systems and machinery operation. Delivery of the vessel to the customer -- Murmansk Maritime Shipping Company -- was scheduled for 2006. All main outfitting activities were completed onboard the vessel. These include installation of power plant and turbogenerators. In September 2005 shore power supply was provided for onboard equipment and machinery and their trial run was executed. Icebreaker 50 Let Pobedy (initially called Ural) is the largest nuclear powered icebreaker in the world. It is a modernized version of second generation atomic icebreakers of Arktika class. Icebreaker 50 Let Pobedy was launched on 29 December 1993. Then its construction was stopped for some time due to lack of financing. In the late 1990s building budgeting was partly resumed and in February 2003 a contract was signed between BZ and FGU State Directorate for Sea Transport Development Programs for outfitting of the vessel. This document stipulates federal budget financing of atomic icebreaker outfitting within 2003-2005.

In July 2004 Baltiysky Zavod JSC won an international tender for the construction of a series of line icebreakers for FSUE Rosmorport. The icebreaker LK 16 is designed for escorting targe tankers (40~50min beam) in the Gulf of Finland during wintertime, towing operations for vessels and other floating structures both in icy and open waters.

By 2007 Baltiysky Zavod was engaged in production of PG-28 steam generators for the first offshore nuclear power plant which was under construction at Sevmash Plant in Severodvinsk. The first offshore nuclear powers plant was constructed by Sevmash Plant in the first place because it was intended for Severodvinsk.

By 1998 the Council of the Ministry of Economy of Russia decided to create a modern shipbuilding complex and the investment project was included in the State program for the conversion and restructuring of the defense industry of the Russian Federation. This program, which was a Russian analogue to the US "Moritex" program, was called "Russian Shipyards" and has received presidential status. The program envisaged the joining of all three existing shipyards (Baltiysky Zavod, Severnaya Verf and Admiralty Verf), and creating a joint ship-assembly complex in the form of a joint-stock industrial corporation. The project of unifying the yard cost approximately $650 mln, of this, 30% would go for the transfer of a number of machine building workshops to other enterprises in St. Petersburg and to the redevelopment of 150 Ha of freed property in the center of the city. For years thereafter, however, it was rather unclear who was planning to finance this project.

List of Deliveries in the Last Few Decades

Baltiysky zavod, Economy

*The volume of the realized commodity release (ÐÒÂ) - the basic parameter of volumes of manufacture in shipbuilding - represents cost of intermediate payments on construction of courts (accepted and paid by the customer) and volume of realization on other production.