Ship hulls for Denmark are formed in Gdańsk shipyard

Danish program of new ships to protect the marine environment begins in Gdańsk. At Karstensen Shipyard Poland the construction of the first hull of the unit was started, which, apart from responding to pollution, will be able to place minesteads and conduct surveillance tasks at sea.

The first hull is formed in Gdańsk

Although the sheet cutting began on June 10, the information about the start of the work did not appear until early July. The first hull is built at Karstensen Shipyard Poland shipyard in Gdańsk. After completion of the essential shipbuilding work, it will be towed to Hvideo Sande in western Jutland, where it will pass further equipment work before forwarding to the Danish contracting authority.

The hull is expected to take about a year. Once it's finished, they'll start work on another ship. Such division of tasks is not accidental. Larger hulls are to be built in a Polish plant owned by Karstensens Skibsværft, while design, final equipment, maintenance and service will be anchored in Denmark.

Contract for the consortium Orlogsskibe Danmark

The program is the result of an agreement signed on 4 February 2026 by the Danish Agency for Materials and Orders of the Ministry of Defence, namely Forsvarsministeriets Materiel- og Indkøbsstyrelse. The contract was notified to the public on 1 July, after the closing of the last contract cases.

The contractor is the consortium of Orlogsskibe Danmark K/S, created by OSK Design A/S, Karstensens Skibsværft A/S and Hvideo Sande Shipyard. OSK Design is responsible for the design of the units, Karstensens Skibsværft for the construction of hulls, and Hvideo Sande Shipyard for the final equipment and transfer of ships to the user.

The ordered series counts four ships. Once in service, they will replace the Danish ships used to protect the marine environment: Gunnar Seidenfaden, Gunnar Thorsen, Mette Miljø and Marie Miljø.

Environmental protection and military tasks

New ships will primarily be used to respond to pollution at sea, including oil spills and chemicals. At the same time, they will be adapted to carry out military tasks. These include the setting of minesteads, water surveillance, enforcement of sovereignty and monitoring of offshore critical infrastructure.

This shows well how the Nordic countries are going today. The unit intended formally for environmental tasks is no longer merely a ship to remove the effects of the failure. To be part of the system maritime safety, capable of acting in times of peace, crisis and possible conflict.

For Denmark, geography is also important. The country is responsible for important maritime approaches, links between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea and areas where critical maritime infrastructure, including offshore transmission installations, is growing. Permanent presence at sea, the ability to react quickly and the ability to perform mine tasks are therefore practical, not only formal.

Søværnet will fill new units

Tasks Protection of the marine environment remain under the authority of the Ministry of Social Security and Crisis Management in Denmark. However, the units themselves will be cast and operated by Søværnet. Therefore, the Danish defence purchasing agency is responsible for their acquisition.

The first unit is to enter the marine environment protection system in mid-2029. The last is to be included in the service at the end of 2030. The contract value is approximately 1.9 billion Danish krona.

Danish programme with Polish participation

For the Danish industry, the order is of political and economic importance because for the first time since 2016, new units for the Royal Danish Navy will be built with a significant share of Danish shipyards. Copenhagen wants to maintain its own design, repair and service skills. In the coming years, Søværnet is also to be strengthened in other segments.

For Gdańsk and the Polish shipbuilding sector, this is another example of participation in the construction of units for foreign contracting. This is not the entire programme, but an important part of the process: the construction of hulls without which there would be no further equipment in Denmark. In practice, this shows that Polish shipbuilding facilities still remain attractive to shipowners, fleets and shipyards from Northern Europe.