Rendsburg (Port)

Latest news

Windhorst shipyards filed for insolvency

The shipbuilder Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) and the superyacht shipyard Nobiskrug Rendsburg have officially filed for insolvency on Dec 12, 2024, deepening the ongoing crisis for their parent company, Tennor Group, and its owner, Lars Windhorst. District courts in Flensburg and Neumünster have appointed the lawyers Christoph Morgen, Partner, Brinkmann & Partner and Hendrik Gittermann, Partner, REIMER as provisional insolvency administrators. The insolvency filings, submitted to the district courts in Flensburg and Neumünster, follow months of financial instability and reported mismanagement. The bleak reality of the situation became evident on Dec 9, when the SH public utility company threatened to cut off the power supply at the Rendsburg facility due to a lack of payments since Dec 1. No immediate action was taken because the federal police ship 'Neustadt' was still in the drydock for repairs. Workers at both firms are bearing the brunt of the crisis. The shipyards’ financial woes have left around 500 employees in limbo before Christmas, many of whom have already been laid off. At a recent rally in Flensberg, workers' union representatives alleged repeated delays in salary payments, including November wages and Christmas bonuses. Local sources report that Flensburg Works Council chairman Jan Brandt accused Windhorst of lying repeatedly and breaking promises of timely payments. Windhorst has become a target of criticism. He has been accused of mismanagement, poor communication and unfulfilled promises. In recent months, workers, unions and politicians have all demanded his resignation. Schleswig-Holstein’s Economics Minister, Claus Ruhe Madsen, called for Windhorst to face up to his responsibility and sell the shipyards or insolvency would clear the way for new investors. The Tennor Group took over the FSG in 2019, relaunching it as “FSG 2.0” without old debts or new orders. Despite repeated announcements of future projects, they failed to materialise, leaving the shipyard vulnerable. In 2021, FSG acquired the Rendsburg-based yard Nobiskrug as it filed for insolvency, but the acquisition has done little to alleviate the financial strain. In the summer 2024, the situation worsened as the German federal government withdrew a €62 million grant intended for the construction of liquefied gas bunker ships at FSG, citing Tennor’s inability to demonstrate sufficient equity capital. Now, the provisional insolvency administrators are working with the project managers of the RoRo ferry at FSG and the yacht Nobiskrug to resolve both projects. If necessary, the administrators plan to consult with federal and state governments about potential interim financing to bridge construction costs until client acceptance and payment. Meanwhile, they will explore further restructuring strategies for both shipyards. Insolvency pre-financing has also been arranged to secure financial recompense for the 340 workers at the Flensburg site and the 140 employees from the Rendsburg facility. This measure will cover payments through the end of Jan 2025, including the overdue November salaries.

Barge slammed into quay in Osterrönfeld

The German flagged, self propelled barge "Este", 983 ts (MMSI-No.: 211505870; EU-No.: 211505870; CS: DA 6327), got out of control when leaving the communal port in Rendsburg on Jan 3, 2017. The ship ran onto the shore at Osterrönfeld on the opposite side of the Kiel Canal during the turning manoever. The ship then scraped along the embankment for severela meters and slammed into the quay of the heavy goods port behind, before it could be stopped and secured at the quay. Actually the ship is in Brandenburg. German report with video: http://www.shz.de/lokales/landeszeitung/irrfahrt-auf-dem-nok-dieses-ablegemanoever-ging-richtig-schief-id15813991.html