Hellenic Shipyards Co.

Hellenic Shipyards S.A. is a large shipyard in Skaramagas, in West Athens regional unit, Greece founded in 1937 as a warship building company.

Diesel multiple units being built under licence from MAN at the Hellenic Shipyards in 1991
Hellenic Shipyards S.A.
TypeS.A.
IndustryShipbuilding
Founded1937/1957
FounderStavros Niarchos
Headquarters
Skaramagas
,
Greece
ProductsShips, submarines, railcars
OwnerGeorge Prokopiou (100%)[1]
Number of employees
1,300 (2009)
Websitewww.hellenic-shipyards.gr

History

Commonly known as Skaramaga Shipyards (Greek: Ναυπηγεία Σκαραμαγκά), from the area where they are located, its origins are connected with the Royal Hellenic Naval Shipyard created in 1937 in order to build warships. Despite heavy investment and an order of 12 destroyers and a number of submarines (of which 2 destroyers were in initial stages of construction), development ceased due to the Second World War while in 1944 the facilities were virtually destroyed by Allied bombing.[2] Operation started in 1957 when Greek business tycoon Stavros Niarchos purchased the ruined shipyard and rebuilt and expanded its facilities; since then the company has built many civilian and military ships.

Military constructions include Greek-designed fast patrol boats and gunboats, as well as frigates, fast attack crafts, submarines, etc. based on French or German designs. A company division is involved in metal and machinery constructions, including specialized constructions for the Greek industry, structures and platforms for offshore drilling, cranes, etc. A special branch has also been created since 1986, for the mass production of various types of railcars (diesel and electric) and railroad cars (passenger and freight), mostly on German designs.

The company was bought in 2002 by a group of German investors under the industrial leadership of the German shipyard Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW), later a subsidiary of the German ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems. However, serious yard mismanagement by the German TKMS group has caused a decline of the shipyard, and reduction of employees to 1,300 in 2009 (from about 6,200 in 1975).[3]

On March 1, 2010, an agreement was reached to sell 75.1% of the company to Abu Dhabi Mar.[4][5] On April 12, 2023, transfer of 100% of the company to Milina Enterprises Company Limited, owned by George Prokopiou, was completed.[6]


Ships built by Hellenic Shipyards
Gunboat HS Aittitos P-268 (Ospray HSY-56A class)

Several ship types, commercial (general cargo, bulk carriers, tankers, tugboats, super yachts, ferries and other passenger ships) and military, among which:

Ships repaired at Hellenic Shipyards

Thousands of ships, among which:

  • HS Tombazis (D-215) - repaired between November 1978 and May 1979
  • Brittany (ex-Bretagne), a Chandris Lines cruise ship that was accidentally destroyed by fire in April 1963 as repairs neared completion[7]

References
  1. "New owner of Hellenic Shipyards - Giorgos Prokopiou".
  2. Ναυπηγεία Σκαραμαγκά: 10 χρόνια ...επαιτεία (in Greek). Kathimerini. 7 May 2006. Archived from the original on 25 February 2012.
  3. L.S. Skartsis, "Greek Vehicle & Machine Manufacturers 1800 to present: A Pictorial History", Marathon (2012) ISBN 978-960-93-4452-4 (eBook)
  4. "Thyssenkrupp Annual Report 2009/2010, p. 108-109". Thyssenkrupp. 2010. Archived from the original on 2012-01-26. Retrieved Nov 22, 2011.
  5. "Thyssenkrupp Press release, Oct. 27, 2010 - Contracts securing the future of Hellenic Shipyards come into effect". Thyssenkrupp. 27 October 2010. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
  6. "Completion of sale of the Skaramangas Shipyards to George Prokopiou (in Greek)". Business Daily. 12 April 2023. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
  7. Plowman, Peter (2007). The Chandris Liners and Celebrity Cruises. Roseberg Pub. ISBN 1-877058-47-5.
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