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Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
The second section of the hull for the new construction of the German federal government’s largest fisheries research vessel has been delivered to the Volkswerft shipyard in Stralsund. In the first quarter of 2027, the hull is due to be transferred to Berne, where work on the vessel’s interior will be finalised.
Braunschweig/Bonn/Stralsund (17 July 2026). The German Federal Republic’s new fisheries research vessel (FRV) is taking shape: today, Friday 17 July 2026, the second hull section of the ‘Walther Herwig’ arrived at the Volkswerft shipyard in Stralsund. Weighing 630 tonnes, this is the heaviest single block. Like the first section, this part of the vessel was delivered on a specialised vessel from Klaipėda (Lithuania). The ship’s keel had been laid at Klaipėda’s BLRT shipyard at the end of 2024. The contractor, Fassmer GmbH & Co. KG, is now building the remaining two hull sections and the deckhouse directly in Stralsund. The “Walther Herwig” is the largest new ship under construction at Volkswerft in five years. In addition to the engineers and the planning team, around 175 shipbuilders are currently working on this new-build project for the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity (BMLEH).
“With the replacement vessel for the federal government’s largest fisheries research vessel, the Thünen Institute, as the vessel’s main user, receives a state-of-the-art platform for seagoing work. Our research provides the basis for the sustainable use of the oceans,” says Prof. Dr Birgit Kleinschmit, President of the Thünen Institute. The three Thünen fisheries research institutes will deploy the new vessel in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, as well as in the Atlantic from the Sargasso Sea to Greenland.
“As the organisation responsible for managing the federal government’s fisheries research vessels, the BLE is delighted that the Fassmer shipyard in Stralsund, which we commissioned, was able to find the capacity to build this new fisheries research vessel as a replacement. With the delivery of the second hull section, construction of one of the world’s most modern and capable vessels for fisheries and marine research – the ‘Walther Herwig ’ – can successfully continue,” says Dr Margareta Büning-Fesel, President of the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE). The BLE is the ordering customer of the new vessel.
This vessel will replace the previous fisheries research vessel (FFS) Walther Herwig III, which entered service in 1993. The replacement vessel will be just under 90 metres long and equipped with state-of-the-art research technology. Its equipment includes, amongst others, ten laboratories, two hangars with deployment systems, various cranes, winches for pelagic and demersal fishing and twin trawling, where two nets are towed in parallel. There will also be a large open working deck and various container berths, some of which will be able to accommodate specialised laboratory containers. The vessel is designed to be extremely quiet so that underwater noise does not scare away the subjects under study.
“With the delivery of the second hull section, the project has reached an important milestone and is now in full swing. The Stralsund shipyard site offers excellent conditions for successful construction. Together with all project stakeholders, we are contributing our shipbuilding expertise throughout all project phases and will oversee the construction right through to commissioning. In this way, we are supporting the future user and operator as a reliable technical partner throughout the entire shipbuilding process,” says David Petersen of the Federal Institute of Hydraulic Engineering (BAW). The BAW is responsible for construction supervision.
The interior fit-out is expected to take place from spring 2027 at the Fassmer shipyard in Berne on the Lower Weser. The vessel is scheduled to enter service in spring 2028.
https://www.thuenen.de/de/thuenen-institut/verbundstrukturen/forschungsschiffe/e... Walther Herwig construction diary (in German)
The second hull section is being delivered to Stralsund.
Copyright: Thünen Institute/Eckhard Fraede
The new fisheries research vessel is to be fitted with a pumpjet. This will improve the vessel’s man ...
Copyright: Thünen Institute/Eckhard Fraede
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The second hull section is being delivered to Stralsund.
Copyright: Thünen Institute/Eckhard Fraede
The new fisheries research vessel is to be fitted with a pumpjet. This will improve the vessel’s man ...
Copyright: Thünen Institute/Eckhard Fraede
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