Local investment company acquiring a stake in Port Esbjerg’s property development company

E. Bank Lauridsen Holding A/S, a family-owned investment and property company based in Esbjerg, is acquiring 10 per cent of Port Esbjerg’s property development company. This company was hived off in 2024 for the very purpose of attracting external involvement.

“We want to get more stakeholders involved at the port to support our infrastructure efforts. This will boost the engagement of external parties, attract funding and bring more skills into play so that we can launch even more projects in the future,” says Dennis Jul Pedersen, CEO of Port Esbjerg.

Port Esbjerg is currently completing stage 5 of its port expansion. The expansion comprises 75 hectares of new reclaimed land as well as an adjacent area of 19 hectares, bringing the total expansion to 93 hectares.  The project is scheduled for completion in late 2025. At the same time, several new warehouses are being constructed to meet demand. Most recently, the construction of a new 4,500-sqm warehouse was announced.

“E. Bank Lauridsen Holding A/S will be the first co-owner of our property development company, and we’re delighted about that, as it’s a locally based company which already has many activities in Esbjerg and at the port and takes an interest in its further development,” Jul Pedersen explains. The investment decision was formally approved at a local council meeting last night.

Great potential

E. Bank Lauridsen Holding A/S is also very pleased with the new collaboration, as it sees Port Esbjerg as playing a key role within the offshore activities in the North Sea and recognises the great potential of the future development in this area. At the same time, the investment fits well with E. Bank Lauridsen Holding’s strategic objective in relation to property investments in general.

“We want to diversify our portfolio of property investments, and we see great prospects at Port Esbjerg. In addition, the port is run by visionary and decent people. We look forward to being able to support the general development at the port and to contribute our experience within property development, investment and operations,” says Per Bank Lauridsen on behalf of the family behind the company.

For Port Esbjerg, this is the first step in its strategy of involving external parties in the expansion of the port. It is expected that more investors will become co-owners of Port Esbjerg’s property development company.

New construction of warehouse and assembly facility

At the same time as gaining a co-owner in its property development company, Port Esbjerg is announcing the building of a new warehouse and assembly facility at the old fishing harbour with Nicon Industries as the tenant.

“We’re seeing growing demand, so we’re acting on it,” says Jul Pedersen.

The new 4,580-sqm facility will have solar panels on the roof and be located by the former fourth basin.

Construction company Jorton won the contract for the project in a tender procedure, and Esbjerg-based Nicon Industries will be the building’s first tenant.

Nicon Industries specialises in the service and assembly of specialised steel structures as well as in complex projects in the energy sector and for maritime businesses.

Besides the new warehouse, the port already has several ongoing projects, and several new warehouses are to be built in order to meet demand. In 2023, Port Esbjerg built a 1,000-sqm cable storage warehouse for the Viking Link project. At the former DFDS terminal, Port Esbjerg is currently erecting a warehouse for Ziton A/S, a shipping and service company. The warehouse is scheduled for completion in early autumn.

The new warehouse facility which the property development company is embarking on is expected to be completed by the end of the year.