mechanical engineering

Yesterday, the Rosbalt news agency reported the intention of the American General Electric to build a plant for the production of electric locomotives in the Leningrad region. The regional administration told Kommersant that a protocol of intent between the region, the Ministry of Railways and the company will be signed in the near future. The Ministry of Railways confirmed the fact of negotiations on technical cooperation with General Electric, but noted that the documents for the project are most likely not ready yet.
As the personal representative of the governor of the Leningrad region, Dmitry Motylkov, told Kommersant, negotiations are already underway between the regional administration and the Ministry of Railways, on the one hand, and General Electric, on the other. It is assumed that the American company will not produce electric locomotives at a new plant, but will locate production facilities at one of the existing enterprises in the Tikhvin, Vsevolozhsk or Gatchina regions. The volume of expected American investment is estimated at $75 million.
Valery Zudin, a representative of the press service of the Ministry of Railways, told Kommersant that his department is studying many proposals for the development of production of both domestic and foreign equipment within the framework of the departmental locomotive building program. Negotiations are ongoing with General Electric on several technical projects. However, Mr. Zudin did not confirm the information that the agreement on the project of an electric locomotive plant in the Leningrad region is ready for signing.
Let us note that a source in the Ministry of Railways, involved in the preparation of proposals for General Electric and domestic enterprises, stated that the American company is not interested in creating an electric locomotive plant, but in the production of its own diesel engines. And not only for railway equipment, but also for other industries. In this case, General Electric products will compete with diesel engines that are produced at seven Russian plants, in particular at the Kolomna Diesel Locomotive Plant and the Novocherkassk Electric Locomotive Plant.
The Moscow representative office of General Electric refused to comment on information about the company's projects in the North-West region of Russia.

SERGEY Kommersant-CHERESHNEV

Newspaper "Kommersant" No. 207 dated November 15, 2002, p. 16

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