Record number of wind vessels calling at Port Esbjerg in 2025

There is a phenomenal view from the helicopter platform of the giant Wind Peak, while the vessel is berthed at Port Esbjerg. Just over 45 metres above the surface of the water, the platform offers views of the whole town and clear views of the entire port and the wind turbines at Måde some fifteen kilometres away.

If you turn around, you get a clear view of two other giant jack-up installation vessels close to Wind Peak that are literally hovering above the water.

And it is no coincidence that the three wind vessels are almost queueing up in the port entrance.

In 2025, more installation vessels will pass through Port Esbjerg than ever before. In the first quarter of 2024, seven vessels called at Esbjerg. In the first quarter of 2025, the figure almost doubled to twelve installation giants.

For the whole year, Port Esbjerg expects that figure to double again.

Wind Peak, Wind Orca, Wind Osprey, Thor, Wind Energy, Blue Tern, Wind Server, Wind Discovery, Brave Tern are the names of some of the vessels that called at the port in the opening months of the year.

”Denmark is ahead”

Captain Rob Southwell is the man in charge of Wind Peak, while the vessel is at the quay in Esbjerg. The vessel is owned by Cadeler, the Danish company with the world’s largest fleet of jack-up installation vessels.

Captain Southwell has visited Esbjerg “more than any other port“ during his wind industry tenure. And that is no coincidence.

He believes Esbjerg is the perfect place for wind installation vessels.

“Denmark is ahead. The wind industry is young, but the Danes started before everyone else and so did Esbjerg. This means all links in the value chain are more developed than in other countries and ports,” says the captain gazing out at a bustling ship deck, teeming with people like in a busy railway station.

He says that it is a difficult logistical calculation to have 15 companies milling about at the same time to make everything from floor in some cabins, establish wind turbine supports, receive catering, build a base for the nacelle, power to the base for the nacelle, IT support, support for the legs of the vessel and much more.

“I look forward to going out to sea to get a bit of peace,” says Rob with a smile.

Nicon, Granly, Semco, E Electric, Tess, SH Group…

Wind Peak was completed in August 2024. The vessel is berthed in Esbjerg for a little over two weeks to prepare for its first major task: the installation of the Sofia offshore wind farm on Dogger Bank. It is located 195 kilometres from the UK’s northeast coast and will be the largest of its kind. As a consequence, there are many things to prepare and a long list of businesses that need to come aboard.

Nicon, Granly, Semco, E Electric, Tess, SH Group, Juhl Diving, CS Accommodation, Certex, Comtech, Lysholdt and SDK help out this time around.

In Esbjerg, Cadeler also collaborates with Viking, RelyOn Nutec, Maersk training, CS Electric, Caverion, Esbjerg Shipyard, OJ Energy and Oil Power.

In many ways, this is a good example of how the activities at Port Esbjerg require specialised skills and that the businesses at the port provide indispensable services that are in great demand.

“The port’s contribution is to ensure we have quays available. These vessels take up a lot of space, which is a challenge when five or six of them are berthed at the same time,“ says Jesper Bank, CCO at Port Esbjerg.

He stresses that there is also a need for plenty of quay space, because a large amount of space is needed when a main crane is placed on the quay and extends over 100 metres inland.

“But don’t get me wrong – we’re delighted being busy. It's also a strategic focus area for us to be able to offer quay berths to the service industry, because there are many businesses in the port with capabilities in this area,” he says.

All in all, Wind Peak is berthed for a couple of weeks in Esbjerg to prepare for a project in the UK that will run for the next 400 days. Among other things, the main crane is being fine-tuned. The crane has a lift capacity of 2,600 tonnes, which corresponds to 520 elephants or just over 2,500 VW Up cars. In just one lift.

Cadeler has a warehouse at the port with spare parts, such as extra wire for the crane and the like. But a service maintenance visit takes more than that.

“Excellent cross-functional collaboration”

Nicon is one of the companies engaged to help Wind Peak establish the blade rack to hold the turbine blades during transport. There are ten men working on the Wind Peak assignment, and some welders are working through the night to optimise time and have the rack ready for departure. Nicon also manufactured the elements.

Nicon Industries is an Esbjerg-based company that specialises in steel construction, welding and surface treatment, primarily for the offshore and wind industries. At Nicon, they have many years of experience in supplying offshore platforms, ships and the wind turbine industry, among others, and the company is considered a global leader in its field.

CEO Jeppe Seerup is pleased with the number of jobs and the strong collaboration with customers and other Esbjerg-based businesses that support its value chain.

“The businesses in Esbjerg have many highly skilled employees with many years of experience. We all benefit from excellent inter-company collaboration,” he says.

Although he is extremely satisfied with Nicon’s role, he emphasises that he feels a deep sense of humility in the face of the success that the port and the local businesses are experiencing with the large number of wind vessels choosing Port Esbjerg.

“At Nicon, we’re basically just a chapter of a much longer story, although I must say that things are going really well for us at the moment,” says Jeppe Seerup.

Crew watching ice hockey

On days when Wind Peak was having maintenance work, the captain invited the crew out on the town. They even went to play ice hockey, and as Rob has previously skated on his local ice rink, “it was almost like coming home.”

According to Rob, Esbjerg is a key player in the industry.

“Esbjerg is THE hub for offshore wind, so we come back again and again,” he says.

Cadeler Wind Peak is just the first of seven sister ships of the same kind built for Cadeler, so Rob expects to return.

“Over the past thirteen years, I’ve experienced a massive boost to our industry, and the strong hype rubs off on those of us who work in the industry. We're experiencing a busier and more streamlined landscape, as are the businesses operating at Port Esbjerg”.