Vice Chancellor Klingbeil honours the Peene Werft shipyard after the completion ceremony for the customs ship series

The completion of the three new customs vessels was celebrated yesterday at the NVL site in Wolgast. Federal Minister of Finance Lars Klingbeil and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig praised the performance of the Peene workers in the construction of the customs ship series. Among the guests of honour was Armin PappergerChairman of the Executive Board of Rheinmetall AG

"The 'Friesland' and its sister ships strengthen customs and demonstrate We are focussing on progress and sustainability. We need a modern customs organisation to protect the people and the economy in our country in a tense security situation. With our 'Customs 2030' strategy, we are making customs even more effective for the future," said Klingbeil. "Germany must remain a strong industrialised country. That is why we are fighting to get our country back on track for growth. And we are fighting for every industrial job - including here in the maritime economy of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern."
"Our customs service is getting new, modern and, above all, more environmentally friendly boats for use. Made in MV. The maritime industry in MV has developed well in recent years. The shipyards in our state are efficient, competitive and innovative. The Peene shipyard in Wolgast is a prime example of this," said Schwesig.
In December 2021, the Directorate General of Customs commissioned the Peene shipyard to design and build three new customs vessels with liquefied natural gas (LNG) propulsion systems. The first two customs vessels have already been handed over to the customer on schedule this year.

"With the handover of the last customs ship we built, which is due to be delivered imminently, the Directorate General of Customs now has high-performance vessels equipped with state-of-the-art technology that will effectively support the authority in carrying out its tasks. This means that we have delivered all the ships on time and within the contractually agreed time frame," said Harald Jaekel, Managing Director of Peene-Werft. "We at Peene-Werft are very proud to have made an important contribution to the modernisation of the operational fleet. The order was a special challenge for us. For the first time, we were able to successfully demonstrate our ability to build a ship with LNG propulsion."
The primary task of the ocean-going vessels, which are made of aluminium, is to control and monitor the cross-border movement of goods within the territory and the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the Federal Republic of Germany. In addition, the approximately 55 metre-long ships will have medical treatment capacities, external fire-fighting equipment and emergency towing capabilities. The ships are designed for eight crew members.