Hanwha Ocean has entered into a cooperation agreement with two Polish shipyards to jointly participate in the construction and maintenance of naval vessels in order to take a favorable position in Poland’s ORKA submarine procurement program worth 2.25 billion euros (about $2.563 billion).
Hanwha Ocean announced that it signed a memorandum of understanding with Poland’s PGZ SW and Nauta on ship construction and MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) services during the 2025 International Maritime Defense Industry Exhibition (MADEX 2025) held at BEXCO in Busan on the 29th.
The signing ceremony was attended by Eo Seong-cheol, Director of Hanwha Ocean Special Ship Business Division, Marcin Ryngwelski, President of PGZ SW, and Monika Kozakiewicz, President of Nauta Shipyard. Prior to the signing, representatives of all parties visited Hanwha Ocean Geoje Shipyard on May 27 to inspect its advanced production capabilities.
PGZ SW and Nauta Shipyard are part of the Polish defense group PGZ, and the two shipyards have agreed to explore strategic cooperation opportunities with Hanwha Ocean (including the ORKA submarine project) to support the modernization of the Polish Navy’s naval ship industry and overseas exports.
Under the agreement, PGZ SW and Hanwha Ocean plan to cooperate in the areas of joint development and international export of Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs), Surface Vessels, Support Vessels, Unmanned Surface and Underwater Systems, and Export-Optimized Submarines; and with Nauta Shipyards, to establish the basis for a joint operation in order to strengthen the capabilities of the naval MRO business.
Under the agreement, PGZ SW and Hanwha Ocean plan to cooperate in the joint development and international export of offshore patrol vessels (OPVs), surface ships, support ships, unmanned surface and underwater systems, and export-optimized submarines; and the cooperation with Nauta Shipyard will establish a joint operation foundation to strengthen the ship MRO business capabilities.
Through this agreement, Hanwha Ocean and two Polish shipyards plan to cooperate in joint R&D, construction, maintenance, technology transfer and export of various types of vessels including the ORKA submarine program. Both parties aim to strengthen ties with local Polish companies and enhance their competitiveness in the bidding for the ORKA submarine program.
It is understood that the ORKA submarine project will purchase three submarines for the Polish Navy to promote its modernization process. The project investment is 2.25 billion euros. It is planned to select the preferred negotiating party in the second quarter of this year and determine the final contractor before the end of the year. In order to win the ORKA submarine project, Hanwha Ocean has formed a “cooperation team” with HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, with Hanwha Ocean as the main contractor and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries providing project support.
The signing of the MOU is the culmination of several working talks between the two companies since March to discuss cooperation plans. Hanwha Ocean said, “Cooperation with leading Polish companies will go beyond mere technical collaboration to become a bridge for cooperation between the Korean and Polish shipbuilding industries and create a new model of cooperation in the global defense market.”