When you enter the Meyer Werft shipyard you’re struck first by shock, and then awe. Shock at the sheer size and scale of the operation. Awe at the laser-focused precision at which it executes these behemoth projects. 
Meyer Werft was established in 1795 and has only gone from strength-to-strength as the family-run business passed through seven generations. It was during its current championship, with Bernard Meyer at the helm, that the shipyard entered the cruise ship business, with the 213-metre Homeric leading the pack in 1985. Since then, Meyer Werft has launched a phenomenal 54 cruise ships; the most recent being the 144,000 GT Disney Wish, which was handed over to Disney Cruise Line in early June. 
The German shipbuilder made an exciting announcement last year at the Monaco Yacht Show: Meyer Werft will diversify its portfolio and delve into superyacht construction. Heading the venture is a new subsidiary group, Meyer Yachts, who celebratory pulled the wraps off an astounding 150-metre superyacht concept, the One 50, during the show in Monte Carlo. 
Photo: Alexander Griffiths / SuperYacht TimesSuperYacht Times was invited for a tour of Meyer’s main facility in Papenburg, Germany – the site where the One 50 superyacht could get built, if signed – to see firsthand the operation and for a sneak peek of what Meyer Yachts will reveal at this year’s Monaco Yacht Show.
Read: Meyer Yachts enters the superyacht sector with a 150m sustainable superyacht concept, ONE 50
The Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg is home to the world’s largest ship construction shed (538-metres in length). This is just one of the yard’s units, and Meyer can accommodate as many as five in-build cruise ships at any one time. Meyer doesn’t build vertically, as is typical with your average yacht build, but horizontally in blocks. These blocks weigh up to 800 tonnes each – approximately the same weight as 16 24 metre GRP motor yachts! – and are cut and built on an automated production line.
The process sees the parts move from a digital 3D design to a laser centre, where the steel is cut, and then a circuit of the yards, where they pass through the hands of thousands of employees. As Lars Kruse, Head of Sales and Design, confirmed, Meyer will, of course, employ the same technique for any other yacht project. It’s a tried and tested method and the one that reigns champion at Meyer. 
Meyer can deliver a cruise ship in 36 months – the team has truly mastered the process. However, Meyer estimates that to deliver a superyacht will be a slightly lengthy process. “A superyacht requires a great deal more customisation than a cruise ship,” Lars Kruse explained. “As a result it will take slightly longer to build than the larger ships that we build. The process will be the same to a degree, but there will be a lot less copy and paste than there is with a cruise ship; it’s a different art.” 
And when it comes to customisation, the One 50 superyacht concept brings it in spades. Innovation is the lodestar of this 15,000 GT superyacht concept and Meyer is looking to penetrate the superyacht sector with a bang. The One 50 spans six decks and will be able to accommodate as many as 44 guests. It will have a long list of amenities, including a split-level spa, a cinema and billiards room, an impressive glass-walled infinity pool and an open air fire pit. 
The devil is in the detail and aspects such as the broad stroke of glass of the infinity pool, is at a level never seen before. The large sheet of unsplit, curved glass is a stunning feature and one that’s put pressure on what’s possible.
Read: Bernard Meyer on how cruise ship giant Meyer Werft will enter the superyacht sector
Meyer Yachts is also striving to deliver the most sustainable project possible. The One 50 will derive power from hybrid engines, which will allow her to travel at speeds of up to 23 knots. As this is such a major project, Meyer Yachts has confirmed that she won’t be built on speculation, allowing her future owner to have full control over her general arrangement and specifications. She’ll be a fully-custom build and a blank canvas for someone to curate. 
At the 2022 Monaco Yacht Show, Meyer Yachts will unveil further plans of what would be the ninth largest superyacht: the One 50 concept. 