Smulders, Neptun Werft Join Forces to Build Offshore Converter Platforms in Germany

November 15, 2023, by Adnan Memija

The Meyer Group, which includes Neptun Werft in Warnemünde, Germany, is joining forces with the Belgian company Smulders to build offshore converter platforms at the Warnemünde site. The two companies will jointly form Neptun Smulders Offshore Renewables and Neptun Smulders Engineering, which will take over the design and manufacture of the platforms.

The contemplated joint venture is currently still subject to regulatory approval from the competition authorities and is expected to be operational during the first quarter of 2024, said the companies.

The new company is said to create up to 100 jobs in Warnemünde.

The collaboration between Neptun Werft and Smulders will enable Mecklenburg-Vorpommern to make a contribution to Germany’s green energy supply and create strategic production capacities with local value creation and jobs in Germany, according to the companies.

Neptun Werft’s production areas are also being adapted to the new business segment. To this end, the company has purchased the former site of the engine manufacturer Caterpillar, which is directly adjacent to the Neptun Werft site.

In addition, part of the neighboring marine arsenal will be used by Neptun Smulders Offshore Renewables in the future.

“We will also continue to invest in the Warnemünde site and adapt the shipyard facilities to the requirements of converter platform construction, for example the quay facilities and crane capacities,” said Jan Meyer.

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“In the future, we want to go even further and, for example, convert surplus energy from wind farms into hydrogen or other e-fuels. This will enable us to supply industry on land and shipping with climate neutral energy sources. The MEYER Group and its partners can also develop and build the necessary tankers,” said Malte Poelmann, Chief Technology Officer of the Meyer Group.

Neptun Werft has built more than 65 river cruise ships for national and international customers over the last 20 years.

When it comes to Smulders, the company, a subsidiary of Eiffage, offers services ranging from design and manufacture to complete turnkey solutions (EPCI) for transformer platforms and foundations. Smulders operates across six locations in Belgium, the Netherlands, the UK, and Poland.