Report: MSC Proposes Take Over of Romania’s Mangalia Shipyard
The Romanian government has according to reports in the media received a surprise proposal for the management and operation of the Mangalia shipyard from MSC Mediterranean Shipping Group. The government has been considering alternatives for the shipyard after the collapse of an agreement with Damen Group sent the yard into insolvency.
Europa Libera Romania reports it has seen a letter sent from MSC Shipmanagement to the government in April that expressed the group’s interest in the shipyard. It cites the company’s need for repair facilities as well as potentially newbuild capabilities. They report the letter says MSC would take over the management and operation of the shipyard and bring in outside management to assist in restoring the operations.
MSC says it is interested in Mangalia because its newbuilding is currently concentrated for containerships in Asia and cruise ships in Europe. MSC reportedly told the government it intends to consider the shipyard for the future construction of cruise ships, ropax, and tugboats. The company also said it was paying in advance for repair work to provide the yard funds for hiring back employees.
Owning over 600 containerships and managing a total fleet of nearly 1,000 containerships plus its cruise ships, ferries, tugs, and the recent entry into the car carrier segment, MSC reports it needs more shipyard capacity. It cites that it already owns space in Antwerp and Naples which also gives it experience in managing shipyard operations.
MSC however is reported to have competition for the shipyard. The government had started seeking investors early in 2025 and the media indicated Turkey’s Desan was in advanced negotiations for Mangalia. The media stories said Desan was proposing to rent the yard facilities from the government and hire the workforce. Desan is reported to be interested in Mangalia for additional production capacity and because it has larger dry docks which would permit work on post-Panamax vessels.
It is unclear from the reports how MSC proposed to structure its deal with the government for the yard. Mangalia is undergoing insolvency proceedings with reports it has debts of more than €400 million ($460 million). The yard may need to be reorganized before a new agreement can be completed.
Mangalia which was established by the government in 1976 had been closed since 2024 after Damen notified the government of its intent to end a joint venture in which it owns 49 percent of the yard. Damen had taken over the yard in 2018 after South Korea’s Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineer ended a partnership that had begun in 1997.
Damen highlighted when it formed the joint venture that the yard had three large drydocks and it was the largest in its group. It said Mangalia had delivered over 200 ships, but the company was hurt by the downturn in shipbuilding and especially the offshore sector.
Romanian media indicate the yard resumed work in May 2025 with two ship repair assignments and a third to follow. It reportedly has brought back approximately 800 workers and has at least 13 more repair projects scheduled for the second half of 2025.
Davie to Acquire Texas Shipyards as it Postures for U.S. Icebreakers
Canada’s shipbuilding group Davie reports it is fulfilling its commitment to invest in American shipbuilding with an agreement to acquire facilities in Texas. The company announced a year ago that it would invest in the U.S. shipbuilding sector as it continues to seek a key role in developing future icebreakers.
Under the newly announced agreement, Davie will acquire facilities in Galveston and Port Arthur, Texas from Gulf Cooper & Manufacturing. The company reports it has two dry docks each in each of the locations and 4,000 feet of dock in Galveston and 1,000 feet in Port Arthur. Its focus is on ship repair, offshore services, and marine infrastructure. It serves the oil and gas, marine transport, petrochemical, and government sectors.
"A successful deal will open a new chapter for Gulf Copper," said Steve Hale, CEO of Gulf Cooper. "For the first time in decades, complex shipbuilding could return to Galveston and Port Arthur.”
Davie reports once it secures contacts it plans to invest $1 billion to upgrade and expand capacity in Galveston and Port Arthur. The project it says could generate approximately 4,000 American jobs, with 2,000 directly at Gulf Copper.
“We share a vision with Gulf Copper to make Texas a world-class hub for American icebreaker and complex ship production,” said James Davies, President and CEO of Davie.
Davie reports it needs to complete negotiation with the Galveston Wharves Board of Trustees as well as financial, legal, and regulatory closing conditions for the transaction. It expects to finalize the acquisition in the summer of 2025.
The Canadian shipbuilder has been actively pursuing the U.S. market and the opportunity for icebreakers. It is involved in the Canadian effort to build new icebreakers and received one of the two first contracts awarded in 2025 for its yard in Quebec. It previously also acquired Helsinki Shipyard, which it highlights has built half of all the icebreakers globally.
Davie states that it “possesses commercially viable, production-ready icebreaker designs that meet the U.S. mission requirements,” and would contribute to Donald Trump’s declared goal to dramatically expand the U.S. fleet. Trump has said it is an urgent national security gap that must be filled along with his calls to acquire Greenland.
The U.S. announced in 2024 a trilateral Icebreaker Collaboration Effort (ICE Pact) along with Canada and Finland to accelerate the construction of icebreakers. Davie was reported to be a driving force contributing to the agreement between the three countries.
With its shipbuilding program years behind schedule for the new polar icebreakers, the U.S. Coast Guard recently acquired a commercial icebreaker which is currently on its first voyage bound for Alaska where it is scheduled to be officially named. The Storis will require additional upgrades to be fully operational. The USCG currently depends on two aging polar icebreakers (Polar Star commissioned in 1976 and Healy commissioned in 1999) along with 21 domestic icebreakers, and 16 ice-capable buoy tenders.
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