Shipyard news: Lürssen sells marine division NVL - concentration on yacht building

Whether this was a first step towards a sale remains to be seen. In any case, the group separated the marine division from the yacht division in 2021 and has since run it as an independent company under the umbrella brand NVL (Naval Vessels Lürssen). The management company for both is Lürssen Maritime Beteiligungen GmbH. Now the sale of NVL to Rheinmetall. The defence group plans to take over all of NVL's sites and around 2,100 employees and to integrate and further develop them, together with their previous management, as a separate division within the Rheinmetall Group.

New home for military division

With the sale, which is to be formally concluded in the next few weeks - subject to approval by the competition authorities - Lürssen wants to send out a signal of strength and pave the way for the consolidation in the German defence industry that has long been desired politically. The NVL facilities include Blohm + Voss in Hamburg, the Peene shipyard in Wolgast and the Neue Jadewerft shipyard in Wilhelmshaven.

Friedrich Lürßen, Managing Partner of Lürssen Maritime Beteiligungen GmbH & Co KG, explains: "We believe that consolidation within the defence industry is necessary and sensible, particularly in light of the heightened threat situation. This is the only way to ensure our country's ability to defend itself quickly." In recent years, the complexity of command and weapon systems has increased massively, especially as ships are increasingly networked with other units and supplemented by autonomous units in the air, on the water and underwater. This requires a more far-reaching integration of such weapon systems than before.

Focus on yachts once again

Peter Lürßenalso Managing Partner of Lürssen Maritime Beteiligungen GmbH & Co KG, adds: "The talks in recent weeks have shown that the chemistry between our companies is right and that we have similar values. It is important to us to place our marine division, our technological expertise and, above all, the approximately 2,100 employees of NVL in good and reliable hands."

The family-run group of companies has its headquarters in Bremen-Vegesack and was founded 150 years was founded on the other side of the Weser. The approximately 2,000 employees of Lürssen's yacht division work on new builds (currently up to 180 metres), repairs and refits. Complex refits such as the 97 metre long "Carinthia VII" have so far mainly taken place in Hamburg, after the Takeover of the Nobiskrug site yachts with the Dreizack logo are also to be built a few hundred metres south of Lürssen-Kröger. The site in Rendsburg recently brought the 114 metre long "Cosmos" the first yacht with methanol fuel cells.