Düsseldorf-headquartered defence systems supplier Rheinmetall and Swiss shipping company MSC intend to acquire the Romanian Mangalia shipyard, located south of Constanța. They have now been awarded the bid following an auction.
The acquisition, which is expected to be finalised in a few weeks, involves a purchase price of around €138m, to be paid jointly by the two partners, Rheinmetall said.
The aim of the takeover is to establish a dual-use production site, where both civil and military shipbuilding activities for domestic and international markets can be developed and carried out in parallel.
To this end, the site will be subdivided into various sectors and security zones in the future.
For Rheinmetall Naval Systems, the shipyard will play a role in building four naval vessels commissioned by the Romanian government, comprising two 96-metre offshore patrol vessels and two 43-metre diver support vessels.
The site is also intended to serve as a hub for further military shipbuilding projects. For this purpose, Rheinmetall is creating a scalable foundation for future projects in southeastern Europe.
“Following the acquisition, we plan to expand and upgrade the shipyard comprehensively. Our aim is to further develop the existing infrastructure, improve production conditions and adapt capacity to meet future requirements.
“This will enable the site in the long term to play a key role in the implementation of our strategic activities in South-Eastern Europe and to strengthen our industrial presence in the region,” said Tim Wagner, chief executive officer of Rheinmetall’s Naval Systems division.
The Dusseldorf technology group has been active in Romania since 2024 through Rheinmetall Automecanica, located in Mediaș.
