Emperium shipyard (part of AFK Sistema) is postponing the commissioning of the first phase of the expansion of its site in Otradnoye from 2026 to 2030. Two sources familiar with the company’s plans told Vedomosti about the rescheduling, and an Emperium representative confirmed the adjustment.
Initially, by the first quarter of 2026, it was planned to build two buildings — a production facility and an administrative and utility building — with a total area of 19,000 sq. m. This would have allowed the enterprise to double its capacity to 25 electric vessels per year.
Now the priority has shifted to the construction of a slipway with a berth and the expansion of outfitting areas. The goal is to reach vessels with a displacement of up to 500 tons and a length of up to 60 meters versus the current 130 tons and 35 meters. The company explained the change in plans as an “increase in the efficiency” of the investment project.
The focus on larger vessels opens several niches for Emperium. According to Vladislav Bukin, editor-in-chief of Mediapaluba, the shipyard may capture the market for small passenger vessels for urban routes in St. Petersburg — in particular, replacing obsolete motor ships of the Fontanka type. A larger-scale task is the replacement of Soviet-era vessels of the Moskva and Ozerny Moskvich types on river routes: they are larger and require serious production capacity. However, without state support and leasing programs, serial production is in question — there are few operators on the market capable of operating the new fleet.