New owners at last for battered Volkswerft

In statements on April 22^nd Nordic MD Juergen Wollny said “we will keep our promises” while Brinkmann said he had always worked to maintain the yard’s newbuilding capability.

The decision to sell ends a two year stale-mate over the future of the P + SA Werften yard and follows what the Mecklenburg Vorpommern state government said was a “significantly improved offer” by Russian-owned Nordic Yards. Not only did the offer include a higher price than one offered in January, but also an employment guarantee.

Price was not revealed but there were reports it was €6.5 million, in addition to which Nordic has re-confirmed a pledge to invest €15 million in the facility. It has also said it will build up the workforce to 250 by the end of the year. If current talks on new offshore contracts succeed, there would be at least 500 jobs at the yard by the end of 2017, Nordic said.

Despite the stress on offshore, Nordic stressed Volkswerft’s newbuilding expertise. Mr Wollny said “public statements to the effect that no ships could be built at Stralsund are highly questionable … Stralsund has designed, built and delivered some very complex vessels over the years. Present difficulties are rather the consequences of mismanagement by earlier operators than defects in manufacture,” he said.

Brinkmann said he hoped to sign a contract within two weeks for approval in May with Nordic taking over Volkswerft on June 1

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almost two years after it went into insolvency. The sale means both former P+S Werften yards will have found new owners. Peene-Werft in Wolgast has already been sold to Luerssen.