How many enterprises are to be set up in the Lipetsk zone? The Economic Development and Trade Ministry has approved the development strategy until 2009 submitted by the Lipetsk office of the Federal Agency for Special Economic Zones. In accordance with it, we may set up over 20 enterprises with innovative technologies and total investment of more than $1 bln in the Lipetsk zone in 2007-2009.
At present, we are considering proposals of an Italian company for electric cable manufacture and of a German company for the manufacture of equipment for mining and enrichment plants.
Economics Minister German Gref has agreed that, in order to develop the zone infrastructure, it is necessary to build a bypass highway around Lipetsk worth Rbs7.9 bln ($303.85 mln), turn the Lipetsk airport into an international one, and set up a medical rehabilitation centre worth Rbs4 bln ($153.85 mln).
However, energy problems may hinder the development of enterprises in the zone. We may have to build a new thermal power plant and invite major international design organisations. Even now we have invited designers from Moscow and Voronezh, and companies that can build industrial facilities from St. Petersburg and Turkey. The zone’s foreign residents want English-language schools for the children of foreign specialists and workers.
It seems other regional-level zones also have energy problems. We do not have enough gas and electricity for normal work, and we cannot resolve this problem without Gazprom or RAO UES. Terbunsky Gonchar, a factory producing ceramic brick in Terbuny, has a capacity of 50 mln bricks and a greater potential. It is also planned to build a ceramic tile shop at that factory. Atomenergomontazh, a plant for the production of metalwork and sandwich panels, is to be commissioned soon.
The building of the Korni sugar refinery, which is to be the largest and most energy intensive in Russia, has begun. Our plans also include the construction of four plants, a distribution and logistics centre of the Rafarma pharmaceutical company, and the Zdorovie Fund for Support of Public Health. A factory producing antibiotics in keeping with EU standards from foreign producers’ raw materials will produce Rbs2 bln ($76.92 mln) worth of medicines. As of now, only 15% of antibiotics sold in this country are produced by Russian companies, the rest is imported. Another big factory, Galenopharm, will produce phytomedicines and herbal tinctures.
Apart from a lack of energy resources, the zone is short of housing and also designers and engineers trained in modern technologies. We will have to invite specialists and partially workers from other regions of Russia and also from Ukraine and the Baltic countries.
How far has the Chaplyginskaya zone progressed? That zone, located in Chaplygin, a town in the Lipetsk Region, is not experiencing major energy shortages, but we need permits from Mostrasgaz for fuel intake from a nearby gas-compressor station, and from RAO UES to build power transmission lines to supply energy to facilities under construction.
The office of TEK Ranenburg for building a modular oil refinery with a capacity of 700,000 metric tons plans to use its own furnace oil instead of gas for heating the enterprise.
An agreement has been reached with Hawle, an Austrian producer of valves and fittings for water, gas and sewage systems, to build Europe’s largest plant for the production of plumbing equipment in the zone (investment in the project will amount to €30 mln). The Moscowbased Agrochim, working jointly with foreign companies, will build a factory for the production of wheat starch and syrup. Investment in its construction will amount to $150 mln.
