The Hamburg-based shipyard is still in the process of being integrated into the Lürssen group. Important investments have been made and steps have been taken to position the shipyard for the future
Since the acquisition by the Lürssen Group in November 2016, Blohm+Voss is in a process of change. In April[ds_preview] 2018, the management of Blohm+Voss reported the steps already taken a success. In 2018, the shipyard was positioned significantly better than at the time of the takeover. In 2017 and 2018, the shipyard laid off 300 workers to reach a workforce of 700. As part of the reorganization storage areas were cleaned from several thousand tons of scrap metal, the material flow was improved and a new plasma cutting machine was installed.
Splitting the shipyard business in three divisions stands at the centre of Blohm+Voss’ reorganization process. The newbuilding division will focus on naval surface vessels while the repair and refit unit services cruise ships and commercial vessels. The yacht refit unit concentrates on large yacht conversion projects. In fact, the Lürssen Group concentrates all such work on yachts of Lürssen and other makes in Hamburg. Meanwhile, yacht newbuilding has been discontinued in Hamburg. Lürssen clearly wants to fully integrate Blohm+Voss into the Group.
Facing an increasing skills shortage in Germany, the Group wants to stay attractive for young talents. The shipyard opened up a new education and training centre in May 2018. The 700m2 facility houses electro-technical, mechanical and shipbuilding workshops and a seminar room that offer a new and upgraded learning environment to the 30 apprentices and students. The new facility is part of Lürssen’s concept to make Blohm+Voss ready for the future. All in all, the shipyard invested 500.000€ of its 10mill. € investment package into the new workshops.
In July 2018, Blohm+Voss sold its 51 % share in French shipyard La Ciotat, that is home to a 200 m x 60 m drydock, to Marina Barcelona 92 (MB92) for an undisclosed price. B+V had partnered with SEMIDEP-Ciotat in August 2016. At the same time, MB92 confirmed its intentions to work closely together with the Lürssen Group in the future. MB92 had already acquired Compositeworks SAS in La Ciotat and plans to integrate the two enterprises and to expand La Ciotat’s position as a superyacht repair hub in the Mediterranean.
Blohm+Voss shipyard is also still in the race for the order of Germany’s new multi-role combat ship MKS 180, at present the country’s largest navy project. A consortium of B+V’s new owner Lürssen and TKMS has already been excluded from the tendering process, but Blohm+Voss in a consortium with Dutch Damen Shipyards Group competes against German Naval Yards / TKMS. The 170 m MKS 180 will be the most modern and most expensive ship of the German Navy that will have six of these ships. The first four units will come at a price of more than 5 bn €. The first ship is expected to be operational in 2026.
