News in brief

Port Esbjerg launches construction of new offshore wind facility

A new facility 30 metres in height and covering more than 6,000m2 will soon grace the port in Esbjerg. The building is among the largest in the world of offshore wind and unlike anything previously seen at offshore wind ports in Europe. It is designed to withstand maximum loads, and will be one of the strongest facilities with the highest capacity in Europe.

The facility will form the base for the handling of the ever-growing components dominating the offshore wind industry. The size of the components makes land transport extremely difficult, and the demand for further facilities is increasing.

“We’re in dialogue with stakeholders across the value chain, and the unanimous feedback is that larger ports with more capacity are a necessity. Therefore, the availability of the right facilities is crucial for the level of activity at the port. Particularly the wind turbine industry is developing very rapidly at the moment, which is why we’re ensuring that we have the facilities ready, so we can accommodate the increase in activities at the port in Esbjerg,” says Søren Gade, chairman of Port Esbjerg.

The new project which Port Esbjerg is about to build will be able to accommodate port-related storage and assembly activities. The facility is designed specifically for wind-industry activities, and Siemens Gamesa will be the building’s first tenant. Siemens Gamesa has already got many activities at the port, and the lease agreement on the new building cements the company’s presence in Esbjerg.

“We’re delighted to extend our long-standing cooperation with Port Esbjerg with this lease agreement. The port of Esbjerg is an important hub for offshore wind activities, and with this new facility, we’ll be even better equipped for the future,” says Torben Bang, CEO of Siemens Gamesa A/S.

The construction costs will amount to a three-digit million sum, and the building is due to be completed by the end of 2023. The construction project was put out to tender, and Jorton A/S won the contract.

Expansion of the harbour at Esbjerg well under way

Thousands of cubic metres of sand is being pumped onto an area designated for expansion at Port Esbjerg. Stage 5 of the project is now beginning to take shape, totalling 500,000m2. Over the coming years, 3.5 million m3 of sand will be pumped from the sea floor and used for the project.

“The expansion is now in full swing, and it’s exciting to follow the visible changes day to day. The port expansion is an essential part of our commitment to support the green transition, because harbour capacity is one of the most crucial challenges at the present time,” says Port Esbjerg CEO Dennis Jul Pedersen.

The sand used for the project comes entirely from clearing the fairway. That will avoid dumping for a long period of time, making the expansion as sustainable as possible.

The port is being expanded to the east of the existing harbour, thereby extending the port limits all the way to the Wadden Sea. The entire expansion project is scheduled to be completed in 2026, when a 350-metre new quay will be ready for use. The quayside will be 50 metres wide and equipped with a 30-metre wide double loading platform for Ro-Ro vessels.