Moscow, July 20 (IANS) Russia will set up a new space centre in the far eastern region of Amur, and the government has allocated 24.7 billion rubles ($811 million) for the project, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said.

"I hope the Vostochny Space Centre will become the first civilian national space centre, and guarantee full independence of Russia's space activities," Putin was quoted as saying by Xinhua.

The Russian prime minister paid a visit Monday to the Energia Aerospace Corporation in Korolyov near Moscow.

"It is important that the new space centre will provide service for all prospective space projects, including a manned transport system, new generation boosters and future interplanetary complexes," he said.

Currently, Russia spends an annual $115 billion for renting the Baikonur space centre in Kazakhstan, where the majority of Russian space launches were conducted.

Putin had signed a decree in November 2007, ordering the construction of the Vostochny space centre.

A total of 400 billion rubles ($13 billion) will be invested in the space centre with an area of 550 sq km, where in 2015 the first unmanned space launch will be conducted.

The first manned space launch is slated for 2018, and by 2020 all space projects will be headquartered in the space centre.