Meyer Werft breaks into offshore converter manufacturing

Its Papenburg shipyard has been made subcontractor for the fabrication of steel offshore converter platforms that will go to transmission system operator Amprion’s DolWin4 and BorWin4 offshore connections in the German North Sea, as well as BalWin1 and BalWin2.

Meyer Werft will lay the technical foundations using wind energy, it says.

For the first time, it will use laser hybrid welding in the construction of the DC platforms.

Traditionally a cruise ship builder, the Meyer Group appears to be broadening its horizons and adding offshore capabilities to its portfolio.

“This order is a milestone for us in our entry into the construction of converter platforms, which we will also build at Rostock in the future,” said John Meyer, chief business innovation officer.

“This expansion of our product portfolio makes a decisive contribution to the energy transition,” said managing director Thomas Weigend. “We are delighted to have found new customers for a new product product with our expertise in capacities.”

Meyer Werft is supplying steel block sections with a volume of 6,000 tonnes each for DolWin4 and BorWin4 and around 15,500 tonnes of steel each for BalWin1 and BalWin2.

This equates to roughly the size of a large cruise ship. Component deliveries are planned for next year autumn 2024 until spring 2027.

In October, the company announced it had bought 50% of C-Job Naval Architects to add to its shipyards in a bid to ‘solidify its focus on sustainable solutions and allow it to diversify its portfolio’.