Naval shipbuilding: Submarine builder invests more than 100 million in Wismar

The Kiel submarine builder Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) is planning a million-dollar investment in its subsidiary shipyard in Wismar. “We are currently expecting a very low three-digit million amount, which we actually need to upgrade the site for submarine construction,” said company boss Oliver Burkhard to the German Press Agency. The background is a new German-Norwegian order worth billions.

On Wednesday, the Bundestag’s Budget Committee approved the construction of four more modern Class 212CD submarines for the German Navy. The order volume for the German units alone is 4.7 billion euros. According to TKMS information, Norway has already signaled that it wants to increase the number of submarines.

Occupancy until the end of the 30s

Since 2019, the company has invested more than 250 million euros at its main location in Kiel alone to create additional production capacity with a new shipbuilding hall. In addition, TKMS acquired the former MV shipyard location in Wismar in 2022 in order to be able to build surface and underwater vessels there at the same time. According to previous information from the defense company, up to 1,500 new jobs could be created there at full capacity.

“Kiel has a high capacity utilization due to the existing orders,” said Burkhard. His company is currently at capacity until the end of the 2030s.

TKMS will fully expand the subsidiary in Wismar into a submarine location in order to be able to deliver the boats to Germany and Norway on time, said Burkhard. The production of the first two 212CD submarines for Germany and four for Norway is therefore on schedule. Germany and Norway signed a joint contract in 2021 to initially purchase six submarines of the new class. Germany now wants to order four more and Norway two more.