A Tenant of SEZ Lotus Signs an Agreement to Develop Shipbuilding in the Astrakhan Region at SPIEF

Today, at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, an agreement was signed between the Astrakhan Region and JSC KIT Shipbuilding Lotos on the implementation of a major investment project.

The project envisages a comprehensive set of measures aimed at import substitution in the shipbuilding industry and increasing the attractiveness of the Trans-Caspian route of the INSTC. The agreement was signed by Igor Babushkin, the Governor of the Astrakhan Region, and Vasily Semyonov, General Director of JSC KIT Shipbuilding Lotos.

The project includes the launch of production of critically important marine components and systems, the modernization of the region’s shipbuilding and ship repair facilities, and the establishment of a modern shipbuilding production complex to meet the demand in the Caspian Basin markets for civilian and special-purpose vessels. The total investment in the project will amount to at least 5 billion rubles.

“The future vessels and marine components will be adapted to the requirements of the markets of the Caspian states that will strengthen the export potential and permanently confirm the region’s status as the key transport and logistics hub in the Caspian Sea. Taking into account the needs of the domestic market, we intend to establish the production of river-sea dry cargo vessels, tankers for various purposes, auxiliary fleet vessels, and dredging vessels in Astrakhan over the next ten years,” said Vasily Semyonov, General Director of JSC KIT Shipbuilding Lotos.

The implementation of the project will help expand the economic cooperation between the Astrakhan Region and the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Republic of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, the Republic of Azerbaijan, and the United Arab Emirates in the fields of shipbuilding and ship repair. Particular attention will be given to developing a workforce training system for the shipbuilding industry, as well as introducing digital solutions in ship design and manufacturing.

It should be recalled that in April 2026, JSC KIT Shipbuilding Lotos laid the foundation stone for the new Baltic Energomash plant for manufacturing marine engines on the territory of SEZ Lotus. The facility is being built by the Baltec group of companies and is scheduled to begin operations in 2028.