28.10.2009

Plan for the future for the Emden site - Purchase contract signed

Hamburg / Emden, October 23, 2009

By signing the purchase contract by SIAG Schaaf Industrie AG on October  23, 2009, the basis to convert the Emden shipyard into a future-oriented, high-tech center for offshore technology for wind energy plants has been established. The legal change of ownership is expected to take place in early January 2010.

The newly established SIAG Nordseewerke GmbH of SIAG Schaaf Industrie AG will take up to 720 employees of the Emden site, including the apprentices.

 “By signing the contract we have reached the basis to convert Nordseewerke into a future-oriented site. During the negotiations, priority has been given to permanently safeguard the jobs and to avoid the closing down of the site. Now, we all have to look forward and do our best to successfully restructure a yard - for the first time in the history of German shipbuilding - to serve a new future-oriented purpose”, said Reinhard Kuhlmann, Chairman of the Board of Management of  TKMS Blohm + Voss Nordseewerke, at the end of the negotiations.

SIAG Nordseewerke will start to restructure the production facilities in the next few months so that components for offshore wind energy plants such as towers, main frames and generator frames, monopiles and foundation structures can be produced.

Rüdiger Schaaf, Chairman of the Executive Board of SIAG Schaaf Industrie AG, believes that by signing the contract an important step has been taken to safeguard both the industrial production facilities and the jobs in Emden.  “In addition to the market leadership in onshore towers, the Emden site will now allow us to offer not only towers and main frames but also underwater foundation structures for the offshore business. With the new site we are establishing the largest offshore tower production site in Europe and thus will have a decisive advantage over our competitors.”

 
ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems
ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems is a leading European systems house providing submarines, naval surface ships and premium segment yachts to customers globally. The company’s outstanding shipbuilding competence includes repairs, services, and ships’ components. Roughly 8 000 employees in Germany, Sweden, and Greece, and in sales marketing offices across the globe are committed to meeting the broadest possible range of challenges. With its headquarters in Hamburg, ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems is part of the Marine Systems business area within the ThyssenKrupp Group. Worldwide, ThyssenKrupp employs roughly 200 000 people who together achieve an annual turnover of 53.4-billion Euros.

SIAG Schaaf Industrie AG
SIAG Schaaf Industrie AG has grown from a classic steel construction enterprise to one of the leading suppliers of the energy industry with plants in Germany, the Czech Republic, France, Egypt and the USA. With a workforce of 1,200 SIAG sees its task in expanding together with its customers in their growing markets and providing quality and reliable supplies worldwide.