Industry: Boats soon unaffordable due to gas price increase?
The development of gas prices is the big unknown for both private households and industry for the coming winter. Everyone assumes that prices will continue to rise. However, nobody can yet predict exactly what this means. This also affects the boating industry. Can boats or accessories still be produced at all with gas shortages and rationing? How will this affect the already long delivery times? And how will it affect prices? We took a random survey of the industry.
Hanseyachts
Production in Greifswald is comparatively well organised.
This is what Andy Unger, Product Manager at Hanseyachts, says. The shipyard in Greifswald operates its own combined heat and power plant, in which waste from the joinery is burnt to generate heat. "This covers a large part of the heating requirement, but not all of it in winter. That's why gas has been used for additional heating up to now," says Unger.
If rationing were to occur and only system-critical companies were to be supplied, the concentration of the entire production in the large hall would act as contingency planning. "If necessary, all models can be produced in this hall, except for the Hanse 675. However, this would result in longer delivery times because capacity would be reduced."
The Greifswald team could manage the changeover in a weekend if they had to. "We already practised this in the summer when modernisation work was due."
Hanseyachts now covers a large part of its electricity requirements via solar modules on the roofs of the production halls. They are therefore relatively insensitive in this area, although the external energy requirement is naturally higher in winter due to the long periods of darkness.
"Overall, we are therefore relatively relaxed about the developments," says Unger. "Our colleagues in GRP production in Poland are far more relaxed - nobody there is seriously expecting a shortage of gas or electricity."
Bavaria
The situation is similar at Bavaria in Giebelstadt. "Thanks to Winfried Herrmann, we have been heating with wood for more than ten years, i.e. with offcuts and chips from production," says spokesman Marcus Schlichting. Only in winter does the heating output have to be supported with gas. The company is currently considering either buying in pellets, which would require them to be stored, or having liquid gas tanks built on the open-air site as a buffer. However, no decisions have yet been made in this regard.
In order to reduce electricity consumption, we began switching all of our lighting to LED in the summer. This will result in considerable savings. This project will be completed in September.
Sailart
Frank Störkle, manufacturer of Sailart yachts in Erftstadt, has taken short-term precautions. "We're not experiencing any major effects at the moment, as we still have a gas contract for production operations until October 2023. "If we had to pay the current gas price, each boat would be around 2,000 euros more expensive in winter."
This is already causing us serious concerns for the coming period.
Yachtsport Eckernförde
Thomas Nielsen, owner of the service and trading company Yachtsport Eckernförde and owner of Saare Yachts in Estonia, also sees a need for action. "Electricity costs in the shipyard in Estonia are skyrocketing. The result is dramatic inflation of 20 per cent in what was previously a model economic country," says Nielsen.
"We completely switched the lighting in the production halls to LED two years ago and are paying close attention to minimising electricity consumption." A photovoltaic system is also being considered. "That would certainly help massively in the summer months, but unfortunately not at all in the winter." The price of gas is not an immediate issue, as wood is used for heating in Estonia.
Eckernförde, on the other hand, is heated with gas. "Unfortunately, there is no alternative for us in the existing buildings." However, a new, better and more economical heating system will be installed in September.
A photovoltaic solution is also being worked on, which would be the perfect solution for operating the showers in the harbour in particular. It would also be a good solution for the extensive lighting in the large shop. "However, things are tough here at the harbour due to the listed building status. We need planning permission, and that's dragging on," says Nielsen. In any case, all costs and fees for customers would increase.
The winter storage halls are not heated. "In our view, this is completely out of date. How can it be right to put yachts in heated rooms when many private households can probably no longer afford a warm living room and we are all supposed to save gas?"
The days of heated winter storage sheds are over!
Gründl boat import
These could also become a problem for Dirk Gründl, Gründl Bootsimport in Bönningstedt and operator of large exhibition halls. They want to "operate more economically and in a more controlled manner in the areas that will be affected by the gas shortage". However, the halls are heated with heating oil. "In the autumn/winter period, we will pay close attention to which areas actually need to be heated. We don't have any shipyard operations and we don't have any winter storage customers whose ships will be in our exhibition halls." However, his customers will also have to be prepared for price increases. "These have already been communicated to us in all areas, from shipyards, accessory suppliers and manufacturers, or have been announced for the coming period."
We will have to pass these price increases on to the end consumer.
Ultramarine
The Ultramarin water sports centre in Kressbronn on Lake Constance, on the other hand, has no problem with heated winter storage. "We have photovoltaic systems on many of our buildings," says Sonja Meichle from the management team. "In the toilet facility, which is open all year round, water and heating are already generated using solar energy and a heat pump." The speciality store for boat accessories is cooled by groundwater in summer, and its heating is also to be powered by groundwater in future.
We are therefore largely self-sufficient and cover our needs with renewable energies.
Gas therefore does not play a major role at Ultramarin. The winter storage hall is heated by photovoltaics and a heat pump. "We certainly need to think about how we bill the berth holders for their electricity consumption. So far, they have been paying a flat rate. We are considering introducing billing based on demand."
Dimension Polyant
The sword of Damocles due to further rising prices for energy and raw materials will hit us, that is certain.
Says Uwe Stein, Managing Director of sailcloth manufacturer Dimension Polyant in Kempen. "Existentially, I'm not afraid. But it's not funny." There will most likely be a shift in demand. "We are already noticing a slowdown in the more price-sensitive target groups such as kiters." But in the yacht market, manufacturers are still working at full capacity, and there is still pent-up demand in the charter market; the current situation will only make itself felt in three or four years' time.
"If there are any supply problems with gas, we have our plans ready," says Stein. "We can reduce our gas requirements by 50 per cent in winter. We can operate machines alternately. We can prioritise the products in our portfolio where the margins are highest."
However, there are no real alternatives to gas without two to three years' lead time. "We have ordered an instantaneous water heater that works with electricity. Of course, that also makes it more expensive to run. But a standstill would be even more expensive."
Stein does not see himself affected by the rationing of gas supplies for the time being. "No question: we are not systemically relevant. We have no illusions about that. But we are an important economic factor at the site and a major employer. A lot has to happen before the tap is turned off completely." But even if there is no bottleneck in the gas supply: The increase in electricity charges alone will cost the company around one million euros in additional costs next year.
What also concerns Stein: "'Green' sailcloths are falling by the wayside in the current development. They are not so much in demand when costs are rising. These are side effects that will set us back two to three years in our endeavours to offer truly sustainable products."
