USC plans to launch the first low‑speed marine engine in 2027–2028.

The United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC), represented by the OSK‑Dvizhenie 
Product Specialization Center, and the Kronstadt Engineering Center have signed 
the first contract as part of a project to create a line of domestic low‑speed 
marine engines. Sudostroenie.info was informed about this on February 19 
by the corporation’s press service.

It is noted that the parties plan to develop and manufacture a number of high‑tech equipment 
components for the Russian civilian fleet to ensure compliance with the requirements 
of classification societies and future customers.

As part of the initial stage of cooperation, it is planned to carry out a set of engineering works, followed by the development of working 
design documentation (WDD) and the manufacture of a pilot‑scale prototype of one of the key components of the MOD. This format 
makes it possible to start detailed design and testing in a timely manner, while simultaneously laying the groundwork for localizing 
the production of high‑tech components at Russian production sites, the corporation notes.

“The Kronstadt Engineering Center will become a reliable partner for USC in terms of the most complex components of the low‑speed engine.” 
“The Center will develop design documentation and also produce prototypes of complex systems and components for MOD,” Sergey Bondarenko, 
Deputy General Director for Development and Operational Efficiency at USC, commented on the event.

The project to create domestic low‑speed engines is being implemented by USC as part of its development strategy until 2026. The first 
stage of work has been completed — the formation of a specialized design bureau and pre‑design work, which laid the foundation for moving 
on to the development of the technical project, the design documentation, and the organization of production. The agreement with the Kronstadt 
Engineering Center allows the corporation to accelerate the implementation of the next phase and prepare for the production of the first domestic 
low‑speed diesel engine in 2027–2028, USC adds.

It should be recalled that in the first stage of the project to create a line of domestic low‑speed marine diesel engines for large‑tonnage fleets, 
the technological partner of USC was the Kingisepp Machine‑Building Plant (KMZ) holding.

USC announced the acquisition of the KMZ holding as part of its development strategy in July 2025. It was assumed that KMZ, as part of the USC, 
would become the base platform for the production of high‑power low‑speed engines for large‑tonnage fleets. In January 2026, it became known 
that KMZ was leaving the corporation. Photo: USC