VEB.RF prepared to provide 2 bln rubles for phase one of bus assembly plant in Khabarovsk

KHABAROVSK. March 7 (Interfax) - VEB.RF plans to participate in the Far East Auto Cluster project to assemble and subsequently produce regular buses and buses that run on natural gas and electricity, the head of the Russian state development corporation, Igor Shuvalov said during a working visit to Khabarovsk on Thursday.

"The creation of the Far East Auto Cluster is one of the key investment projects in the city's development strategy [...]. It's important to note that the project will be carried out in cooperation with Chinese partners. VEB.RF is considering the possibility of participating in the project to create the auto cluster and plans to provide soft financing for the first phase in the amount of 2 billion rubles," Shuvalov said at a presentation of the models Khabarovsk Territory acquired to update its public transport fleet.

The region's governor, Mikhail Degtyarev said the project to build a specialized plant within the Far East Auto Cluster is already at the implementation stage. A site for the assembly and production lines has been allocated on the Rakitnoye property in the Khabarovsk priority development area (PDA), Degtyarev was reported as saying by the regional government's press service. Construction of the assembly buildings will begin in May.

The project will be carried out in two phases. The first, to be carried out in 2024-2025, will involve building an assembly plant to produce city buses under the Amurbus brand for the Far East market, and developing a tour model and localizing it for the Russian market.

In the second phase, in 2025-2026, there are plans to set up production of components, including drive axles and axle shafts, as well as precision and mechatronic units. The creation of a complete bus production cycle will make it possible to deliver up to 1,400 buses to the Far East market annually once the project reaches full capacity in 2037.

Far East Auto Cluster LLC CEO Alexei Bakulin said nine- and 12-meter natural gas city buses will be assembled in Khabarovsk. They will have air conditioning, low floors and all the options and devices necessary to ensure passenger comfort and safety.

Far East Auto Cluster LLC was registered to build the complex, the land for which at Rakitnoye has been leased. The plant will help update the transport infrastructure of Khabarovsk and Komsomolsk, as laid out in the masterplans for the cities' development.

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