German group Rheinmetall and Swiss shipping company MSC have announced their intention to jointly take over the Mangalia shipyard and transform it into a dual-use centre for both military and civilian shipbuilding, according to a press release from the two potential investors. Under bankruptcy, the yard can be taken over by the Romanian state at no more than its liquidation value, set at EUR 87 million, and use it for defence production purposes in a joint venture, according to an emergency ordinance passed recently by the executive.

The talks come shortly after Romania proposed to Rheinmetall a contract worth nearly EUR 1 billion for four ships to be built under the military endowment scheme SAFE. In total, the German company expects to collect over five billion euros from the contracts with Romania, including, among others, Lynx KF41 infantry fighting vehicles as well as Skynex and Skyranger air defence systems. 

According to a statement from Rheinmetall and MSC, the takeover of the bankrupt Mangalia shipyard "would open up positive prospects for the future of the Romanian shipbuilding and defence industry and mark the start of a new era. Rheinmetall AG is considering, in close cooperation with the Swiss company MSC, making substantial investments in the site.”

Rheinmetall plans to turn Mangalia shipyard into a production centre on a European scale.

The German company said its current plan envisages that the resumption of shipyard operations will go beyond the construction of the four ships currently planned, which are to be built by Rheinmetall’s Naval Systems division. The idea is to develop Romania into a major European production hub for shipbuilding. In this context, Rheinmetall aims to attract further European and global programmes to the country, thereby strengthening Romania’s position in the defence and shipbuilding industries.

Rheinmetall is a German technology and defence group known worldwide for manufacturing military equipment and security systems. Through its Naval Systems division, established following the recent acquisition of the NVL shipyards from the Lürssen group, Rheinmetall is one of the world's leading suppliers of naval systems and is responsible, in particular, for major programs for the German navy.

In Romania, the Düsseldorf-based group is represented by Rheinmetall Automechanica, based in Mediaș, and the powder factory project in Victoria since 2024.

MSC is one of the world's largest providers of shipping and logistics services, with an extensive network and expertise in global supply chain management. MSC's shipping company sails on 300 trade routes and calls at 520 ports, carrying approximately 30 million TEUs annually. The MSC Group, including its passenger divisions, employs 200,000 people worldwide.

Prabhat Jha, CEO of MSC Shipmanagement Limited, the Cypriot subsidiary of the MSC group, announced in 2025 its interest in Mangalia shipyard.

“The growth of MSC's fleet requires a large-scale shipyard for newbuilding programs, currently concentrated in Asia for container ships and in Europe for cruise ships. We intend to consider the shipyard in Mangalia for the construction of future cruise ships, ro-pax ships, and tugboats,” Prabhat Jha said at that time in a letter addressed to the Romanian authorities.

iulian@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Inquam Photos/Daniel Stoenciu)