Sweden’s SKF ready to raise capacities of bearing plant in Russia

TVER, Jun 11 (PRIME) -- Swedish company SKF is ready to raise capacities of its railcar bearings plant located in Russia’s Tver from the current 150,000 units per year in line with demand, Alexei Shulepov, CEO of SKF for Russia and the CIS, told reporters on Tuesday.

“This largely depends on demand from owners of rolling stock, on the types of railcars. It looks like the whole world is moving in the direction of innovative railcars squeezing out old types of railcars as they carrying more weight, boosting productivity,” he said.

Demand for bearings will grow in line with the replacement of old railcars with new, as it usually takes a railcar six to seven years to reach the time when it needs services or maintenance. Now, innovative railcars produced six to eight years ago have to undergo maintenance, he said.

The Tver plant exports 5–7% of its production, and it may raise exports. The Russian market is a priority for the plant, so exports depend on orders from Russian companies, he said.

“But the volumes we export to the market of North America already show that we will be able to make a name for ourselves if we have the possibility of raising volumes. We are cheaper,” he said.

SKF also plans to open servicing centers for railcar bearings upgrades in Russia’s regions. Currently, the company has a center for restoration of industrial bearings in Moscow and a center for railcar bearings in Tver, he said.

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