The PGZ Naval Shipyard in Gdynia will soon change beyond recognition. Today, the investor and the general contractor, a consortium consisting of NDI S.A., NDI SOPOT S.A. and Pekabex BET, signed an agreement on the construction of new facilities, as well as the reconstruction of existing infrastructure. As part of the investment, the shipyard will receive a new hull hall, which will be the highest in the Polish shipbuilding industry and one of the highest in Europe. It will also be equipped with a modern production hall, and the wharf and storage yards will be expanded. New internal roads will also be built. As the investor emphasizes, the investment is essential for the implementation of the Miecznik program, involving the construction of three multi-role frigates for the Polish Navy.

"Today's signing of the agreement marks the completion of a very busy stage of analysis, design, obtaining permits and selecting the best solutions and partners for the implementation of the investment. Now we are moving full steam ahead with construction. If we do not encounter unforeseen circumstances, by mid-2024 we will have the infrastructure and machinery and equipment that will make PGZ Naval Shipyard the most modern shipyard in Poland! Thanks to these very investments, we will build three "Miecznik" type frigates, which will be the most modern units of our Navy. We will also use our new expanded potential to build and modernize other units in the future. The general contractor has 67 weeks from the date of signing the contract to carry out all the work. That will be completed in June 2024," said president of PGZ Naval Shipyard Paweł Lulewicz.

The most important project of this investment is the construction of a new hall, where the hulls of three multi-role frigates of the Miecznik program will be integrated. According to the project, the construction area will be nearly 6 000 square meters. The height of the hall is expected to be as high as 46 meters, including the roof-mounted ventilation units. In turn, the planned production hall will all of the shipyard's outfitting departments (the built-up area is nearly 5 000 square meters). The consortium is also responsible for the expansion and reconstruction of the wharf, storage yards and internal roads, along with the modernization of the technical infrastructure at the PGZ Naval Shipyard.

"I'm very pleased that we can undertake such an important task. We have extensive experience in both cubic and hydraulic engineering investments. Recently, we have been active, among others, on the Vistula Spit, in the ports of Szczecin, Gdańsk and Gdynia, and we have also started a large investment on the Orlen wharf. I'm convinced that the experience we have gained so far will result in efficient implementation of this task as well. I hope that in a little more than a year we will meet in a completely changed, modern space," noted NDI Group vice-president and CFO Szymon Reptowski.

According to the Defense Ministry's announcements, the launch of the prototype ship is expected to take place in 2025 or 2026. All three planned ships are to be delivered by 2030. Sheet metal cutting for the construction of the first of the frigates is scheduled for August on 2023. The entire project is overseen by the PGZ-Miecznik consortium, which includes Polish Armaments Group, PGZ Naval Shipyard and Remontowa Shipbuilding. Foreign partners in the program are Babcock, Thales UK and MBDA UK.