During several months “Vaillant Group” will assess the prospects for the creation of its own production in Russia

Today, the leadership of the Ministry of Construction, Architecture and Housing of the Republic of Tatarstan and heads of a number of industry enterprises met the delegation of company “Vaillant Group”. The meeting was held by First Deputy Minister of Construction, Architecture and Housing of the Republic of Tatarstan Farit Khanifov; the delegation was headed by Managing Director Karsten Stelzer and Director General of the company in Russia Maxim Shakhov.

Today “Vaillant Group” is a leading European manufacturer of heating systems. Two main issues were discussed during the meeting: starting the production of wall-mounted double-pressure gas boilers in SEZ “Alabuga” and the company's participation in federal and regional programs on the modernization of housing and public utilities.

Starting the conversation Farit Khanifov said that that was not the first meeting with the leadership of “Vaillant Group” on the promotion of the company in Tatarstan's industrial market. He noted that there had been a lot of important events that might influence the positive decision of the leadership of the company to start its own production in Russia. Firstly, the Federal Fund for the restructuring of housing and public utilities decided to carry out major repairs in apartment houses, resettle citizens from the failing housing stock and upgrade the systems of municipal infrastructure. Moreover, the interest in cogeneration plants (simultaneous generation of electricity and thermal energy) has increased; the technology of renewable resources (solar energy, ground heat, wind, etc.) could be in demand in the future.

Managing Director of «Vaillant Group» Karsten Stelzer said that Russia was an important market for his company. “We are ready to work in all directions, firstly, to maintain the growth, and secondly, to multiply the figures”, he said. According to him Russia will remain a consumer of natural gas for a long time, and today the most important thing for the company is to understand if the transfer to individual heating systems will continue, and what steps for the modernization of public utilities will be made in the Republic in the near future.

Marat Gazizov, Deputy Director of the Administration under the Fund for the installation of gas service of the Republic of Tatarstan, said that the Republic had mainly implemented the program on the transfer to individual heating systems, but in recent years the number of questions from neighboring territories had increased. “We have every reason to believe that soon other regions will work the same way”, he added.

The participants agreed that it was important to take into account both good heating equipment and the realities of its operation in Russia, as well as to create powerful service centers. By autumn 2013 the company is to present a report to shareholders on the implementation of the project on starting the company’s production in Russia as well as using the equipment in the country. Maksim Shakhov said that he had received a large amount of information that could be used to argue in favor of starting the production.