German yard deliveries reflect niches

A study by the Hamburg publication THB reported 27 ocean-going vessels delivered by 11 shipyards – mainly cruise and ro-ro ships, yachts and special workboats. Only five were cargo-carriers. In addition to that list, however, seven 135m long inland cruise ships were delivered during 2012 by Meyer Werft subsidiary Neptun, which has 19 more on order.

The overall total is up on 2011, when the German shipbuilding association VSM said 31 ships were delivered, but it is still a far cry from even 2008, when the Germans delivered 70 ships.

The decline reflects a continuing drain of shipbuilding business to cheaper Asian/Far East yards. THB said that of 160 newbuilds entering service with German owners last year, only five were built in Germany.

Heading the 2012 German delivery list was cruise ship builder Meyer Werft with two newbuildings. It still has orders for six cruise ships including its biggest ever at 163,000gt, but went into 2013 diversifying with the delivery Thursday of its first LNG tanker and is also building a research ship with Neptun.

Also broadening its pallette is Germany’s second-biggest builder, Flensburger Schiffbau Gesellschaft (FSG), which delivered four freight ferries in 2012. It now has orders for con-ro, project-load and offshore seismic ships while still leading the world in ro-ro and ro-pax building.

It’s interesting to note that 2012 German deliveries would have been nearer 40 if P+S Werften had not got into trouble. Yard partner Peene Werft, now being taken over by Lürssen, delivered two Swedish coast guard ships, but big sister Volkswerft defaulted on the delivery of ships including three big ferries.

The now re-constituted Sietas delivered three ships – a dredger and two ferries – in 2012, while Abeking & Rasmussen, Fassmer, Lürssen, Kröger, Nobiskrug and HDW all delivered specialist workboats or yachts. Ferus Smit was the only yard to deliver a pure cargo ship newbuild, the 14,603dwt multi-purpose

Fuldaborg,

and she was for Holland.