Carte blanche for Nizhnekamsk: the pertochemistry capital will try on the status of the territory of advanced development

Recently in Nizhnekamsk it has been discussed the issues of implementation of the concept of the regional project Innokam. The representatives of the ministries, industrial enterprises and the heads of municipalities, members of the cluster, were invited to attend the meeting with the Minister of Economy Artyom Zdunov. During the discussion of how to attract federal finances to Nizhnekamsk, the Minister of Economy suggested to create here, like in the neighboring city of Naberezhnye Chelny, the territory of advanced development. Besides, as the correspondent of Realnoe Vremya found out, the steps for the development of road infrastructure for the implementation of Innokam have already been made, however, among 79 actions determined for implementation there are those that are not being solved.

The special status

Opening the first visiting meeting in the framework of the signed in June decree of the government of the Russian Federation on the support of the cluster Innokam in Nizhnekamsk, Artem Zdunov noted that it's time 'to transfer the theoretical discussion of the project of the future cluster to the practical field'. Today's challenge for all ministries — to develop specific activities that will help enter all possible government programs, agencies, funds and state corporations, including Russian Railways, with counting on funding of the projects that will ensure the work of Innokam, what applications must be done and to determine the terms.

According to the Minister of Economy, Tatarstan has priority over other regions in this issue. For example, in Tomsk there will be an innovative-educational cluster, whereas in the Republic — the infrasturcture direction, involving major capital investments.

Nizhnekamsk as the place of the meeting was chosen for the reason: as Zdunov stressed, there is the main demand concentrated, that will be the driving force of industrial innovation cluster.

Artem Zdunov noted that it's time 'to transfer the theoretical discussion of the project of the future cluster to the practical field'. Photo: Maksim Platonov

The active work started with participation of the Ministries of Transport of the Republic and Russia, and there are first documents already. Besides, the Vice Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich signed a protocol on 14 scientific and educational programs for creating training grounds and educational centres, which need considerable financial investments, since innovative development of industry, concentrated in the Kama cluster, no doubt, will require a large number of highly skilled professionals.

The mayor of Nizhnekamsk noted that an important component of Innokam in Nizhnekamsk region is the development of engineering and transport infrastructure — it it the bridge through the village of Sokolka, the expansion of roads inside the city, the construction of roads connecting the M7 and Volga highways with Naberezhnye Chelny and Nizhnekamsk, the construction of new tram routes for the city that has intense environmental component.

As Aidar Metshin admitted, 'I have never thought that we will have, like megacities, the problems with road capacity at rush hours. It really becomes overheated.' A part of the problem has already been removed from the agenda. The industrial giants have played their role here. So, TAIF and Nizhnekamskneftekhim have allocated about 120 million rubles for the reconstruction of roads leading to the industrial area. But this does not solve the problem as well.

Photo: nk-times.ru

More than 40 billion will be invested in the railroad

The Deputy Minister of Economy Natalia Tarkaeva reminded the audience that the concept consists of several large blocks and 79 major actions determined for implementation. The work on several priority issues is already underway, said Deputy Minister.

Besides, by a special resolution of the RT Ministry of Economy, each of the events was assigned to the core ministries. A report on their work was presented at the visiting meeting. First, they discussed the first side – the infrastructure of the agglomeration because this is the finished project, as Tarkaeva stressed.

The main part of its implementation will be the construction of road with a bridge across the area of Sokolki village, the expansion of railways for Nizhnekamskneftekhim, TAIF-NK, TANECO and KAMAZ. Responsible for this part Deputy Minister of Transport and Roads of RT Andrey Egorov noted that the most elaborated project today is the construction of two overpasses in the vicinity of the Predkombinatskaya station. Its construction has already been agreed with all interested agencies. The cost — more than 500 million rubles. The project implementation is being worked out with Russian Railways and the Ministry of Transport on the funding sources. There is still no clear answer whose investment program will include this project, said Egorov.

As for the bridge near the village of Sokolka, connecting with the M7 highway, they already have the feasibility study. The construction of 89 km of road will cost about 90 billion rubles. The first stage that requires 21 billion rubles will be the construction of a bridge across the Kama River. The issue is being worked out in Moscow with professional companies and in the centre of project financing. It is planned to implement the project on public-private partnership terms, which is also under development stage.

The first stage that requires 21 billion rubles will be the construction of a bridge across the Kama River. Photo: kazanfirst.ru

The cost of one more item – the capacity expansion of railway lines Agryz—Krugloe Pole — Biklyan at 140 km will cost 30 billion rubles, plus the electrification of the lines — more than 11 billion rubles, but they decided to postpone it for a later date.

Perhaps, the most elaborated infrastructure object today is the airport Begishevo. As Yegorov noted, here everything goes well, within the framework of the federal target program 'Development of transport system of Russia' it has been allocated about 800 million rubles, about 50% of which was financed. It is planned to complete the work on the airport in 2017.

The next block in the project Innokam — advanced industry. Its financing is also a difficult issue. The thing is that direct funding from the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation is only possible for enterprises of the military-industrial complex, which list does not include the enterprises of the petrochemical and refining industries concentrated in Nizhnekamsk. They are provided with the reimbursement of expenses and subsidizing of a small part of R&D.

As Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Republic Almaz Khusainov stressed, for those projects that are being implemented on the territory of Innokam, including Nizhnekamsk ones, there are limitations in terms of investment volume. For example, for an olefin complex of Nizhnekamskneftekhim there are limitations up to 10 billion of investments. However, its construction will require hundreds of billions of investments. The Ministry of Industry and Trade of Tatarstan advanced the initiative to remove the upper limit. However, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Industry of Russia do not meet halfway. The same problems also affect the oil companies: they could not get subsidies for working capital.

However, the Ministry of Industry and Trade does not cease trying to achieve the investment of special investment contracts from the federal government, said Khusainov. Alternatively, tax preferences are considered.

According to Aidar Metshin, the point of application is a business that will be engaged in the processing of the main raw materials that are produced by our industrial enterprises. Photo: e-nkama.ru

The territory of advanced development and SEZ for Nizhnekamsk

A new change in the law on development of single-industry towns, when investment projects can be applied for the provision of infrastructure, is now available for Nizhnekamsk as well. That is why now, as the head of the Ministry of Economy noted, they need applications supported by documentation.

Besides, Artyom Zdunov advanced a new initiative to the city authorities, he talked about it a couple of years ago. 'We can create here a territory of advanced development. If you need it, we'll go to Moscow and will contest for this status. First and foremost, small and medium enterprises should be interested in this, as TOSER (the territory of advanced social and economic development) is created not for anchor companies but for those that are connected with them at less than 50%.'

'This is especially important for us,' said Aidar Metshin, 'due to the presence of the infrastructure of the district's economy of only 18% of SMEs, we need to increase this proportion. And the point of application is a business that will be engaged in the processing of the main raw materials that are produced by our industrial enterprises. However, at that moment there are no such projects and proposals from entrepreneurs who would enter the program of the territory of advanced development, so this year Nizhnekamsk has no chance to get a new status.'

It was decided to create a working group to study this issue and to prepare drafts, which will give Nizhnekamsk an opportunity to become the territory of advanced development, and what is important — to create new jobs.

Another novelty that has already been adopted by the Ministry of Finances of Russia: one of the territories of SEZ Alabuga will be located in Nizhnekamsk, that will give new opportunities for NKNK. It promises tax returns, payed to the federal budget. The Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Economy of Tatarstan are responsible for the elaboration of this issue.

The establishment of an educational center involves six large-scale projects with the participation of three federal universities: Kazan Federal University, the Nizhnekamsk Chemical-Technological Institute and KAI branch in Naberezhnye Chelny and two projects based on secondary specialized colleges. Photo: permtpp.ru

At the waiting stage

Back on the topic of implementation of the concept Innokam, the participants discussed other two project clusters: education and environment. As to the first one, the establishment of an educational center involves six large-scale projects with the participation of three federal universities: Kazan Federal University, the Nizhnekamsk Chemical-Technological Institute and KAI branch in Naberezhnye Chelny and two projects based on secondary specialized colleges. Arkady Dvorkovich has already signed the protocol of the meeting, which was held in June in Innopolis.

However, the project on the creation of a test and certification centre for testing of products produced on the territory of Innokam is not developing. The solution of the question is charged to Nizhnekamskneftekhim and the Academy of Science of RT. The terms are defined — 2017-2018, however, as Deputy Director of Nizhnekamskneftekhim for corporate property and strategic development Igor Larionov noted, the problem is that the Academy still has not decided on the organizational forms of the project.

The projects on environment has two directions — the reconstruction of the bridge of the Nizhnekamsk Reservoir and protective works on the dam. Both projects have not been worked out yet but, as Deputy Minister of Ecology Rustem Kamalov noted, the Ministry is actively seeking ways to solve them.

By Angelina Panchenko