PGZ Stocznia Wojenna’s impressive investments are increasingly taking shape. Not only is the size of the Hull Hall under construction impressive, but also the equipment with which it is being erected. A huge gate has just been installed in the Hull Hall, the surface area of which can be compared to that of three basketball courts! Poland’s tallest elevators with a reach of up to 58 metres are at work on the site. Advanced work is also under way on the second hall under construction – the Production Hall. The general contractor for the investment is the consortium of NDI S.A., NDI SOPOT S.A. and Pekabex BET.
Hull Hall – the giant where Miecznik will be built
On the premises of PGZ Stocznia Wojenna, large investments are underway in relation to the Miecznik programme – the construction of three multi-purpose frigates for the Polish Navy. The most visible is the construction of the tallest hall in the Polish shipbuilding industry – the Hull Hall. It will be one of the largest of its kind in Europe. In December last year, the topping out ceremony appeared on the site, symbolising the achievement of the highest construction point. But the builders are not slowing down at all, and work is continuing not only inside the buildings, but also on the grounds around them. The height of the hall in which the hulls of the Miecznik frigates will be built is 43 metres, and including the ventilation unit mounted on the roof, it is even 46 metres. For installation work and those related to the casing, lifts with a reach of up to 58 metres are being used. As many as five of the six such lifts available in Poland are currently on site.
Installation of powerful gates
In mid-February, the main gate of the Hull Hall was installed, weighing as much as 34 tonnes with the machine room. The dimensions of this gate – 43 metres high and 34 metres wide – are best compared to the surface area of as many as three standard basketball courts. The construction team is also preparing to install a second door of similar dimensions on the opposite side of the building. In the interior of the hall, installation work – ventilation, gas and electricity – is being carried out in parallel. In April, work will begin on pouring the floor.
Production hall
In addition to the Hull Hall, a state-of-the-art Production Hall is being built at the shipyard. “Soon all the equipment departments of PGZ SW will start working in this hall. Shipyard workers will have much better working conditions there than in the old premises and the six new machines to be installed here will provide us with a real technological leap in several areas of production,” – said Maciej Poprawski, the Shipyard’s Operations Director responsible for the investment process. In the Production Hall, the thermal insulation and waterproofing of the roof and wall cladding are now being completed. At the same time, all installation work is underway and preparations are being made for the installation of the entrance gates, cranes and the acoustic partition scheduled for March. Pouring of the concrete floor has also begun, on which a top layer of resin will be laid in May.
New roads and more robust quays
The technical infrastructure, quayside and internal roads of the shipyard are also being rebuilt. “A lot is happening in terms of road reconstruction. – We are completing substructures and surfacing pavements and manoeuvring roads. We estimate the state of progress at around 25%. As the weather conditions are favourable, we will successively hand over further finished surfaces,” – Przemysław Młynarczyk, Road Works Manager from the NDI Group, reports.
The largest investment in the over 100-year history of PGZ Stocznia Wojenna is worth over PLN 300 million. The completion of the halls is scheduled for July 2024.
