Viking and NEPTUN WERFT today laid the keel for ten new river ships. This continues the successful series of 65 ships for Viking. The company has now commissioned NEPTUN WERFT to build a further nine innovative river ships, which include one ship for the Seine and eight ships from the well-known Longship series. A further Seine ship was already commissioned in February 2023. NEPTUN WERFT will therefore build ten river ships for Viking by 2026.
While the Longships are 135 metres long, the ships for the Seine are based on the "shortened" Longships Viking Kari, Viking Radgrid, Viking Skaga and Viking Fjorgyn already built for Viking. One ship for the Seine and four ships from the Longship series are to be delivered in both 2025 and 2026. Construction of the ships has now symbolically begun with the keel laying ceremony at NEPTUN WERFT.
The new ships will be equipped with a hybrid system consisting of a diesel-electric drive and a battery system. This will absorb peak loads and save a considerable amount of fuel. The Longships are being designed for the first time at NEPTUN WERFT using a new PLM system, a combined solution of Catia V6 and Cadmatic. They will also feature a number of technical innovations, such as a compact system for wastewater treatment.
"We are delighted to continue the series of Viking Longships with these ten vessels. With their hybrid system, the ships are among the most environmentally friendly on Europe's rivers. Their successful use on the ships already delivered was a decisive reason for Viking to once again rely on the MEYER Group for construction," says Jan Meyer, who will head NEPTUN WERFT as Chief Business Innovation Officer in the future.
NEPTUN WERFT now has a well-filled order book with ten river cruise ships, two naval fuel supply vessels and parts of the METEOR IV research vessel, which extends into 2026. The MEYER Group is also planning to enter the construction of offshore converter platforms together with the Belgian company Smulders. The NEPTUN SMULDERS Engineering joint venture is currently being set up for this purpose. These platforms will also be built at NEPTUN WERFT in the future. The shipyard's team continues to grow for these unique maritime projects. Job vacancies can be found at meyercareer.com.
