Harbor Expansion Will Boost Growth Potential of Port of Esbjerg

The largest harbor in Denmark expands when the Port of Esbjerg's new Østhavn (“East Harbor”) opens Friday 21 June. The 650,000 square meter expansion of the harbor will consolidate Esbjerg's position as the leading North Sea port for the wind turbine industry and increase its potential to develop and grow other business areas.

Esbjerg is the EnergyMetropolis of Denmark, and has recently been nominated to become a member city of the exclusive World Energy City Partnership.

Grand opening
The opening ceremony will be attended by the Mayor of Esbjerg, Johnny Søtrup and the Danish Minister of Transport, Henrik Dam Kristensen. To indicate the significance for the entire city, all citizens of Esbjerg are afterwards invited to a harbor festival with music and entertainment.

The new section of the harbor in Esbjerg covers 650,000 square meters, the equivalent of about 100 football pitches. It has taken two years to build and the investment amounts to approximately 100 millioner euro.

Designed for offshore wind turbines

Representatives from the wind turbine industry will be the first to move into the new area, which features facilities specially designed for testing, pre-assembly and shipping of offshore wind turbines. Yet the Østhavn is also designed to accommodate the needs of the oil and gas industry, as well as trailer (ro-ro) and container operators.

- Handling offshore wind turbine traffic has become more and more demanding with respect to infrastructure and harbor facilities. Our new Østhavn is big enough for even the largest of wind turbines. Having that capacity is crucial in the ever-more competitive market for offshore wind projects, says Port Director Ole Ingrisch,

A strong international harbor in the EnergyMetropolis of Denmark

Esbjerg's Mayor Johnny Strop is pleased that the new harbor will enable the Port of Esbjerg to continue to meet demands in the future. He acknowledges that the success in Esbjerg by large is due to the enterprising and adaptive nature of the city that has transformed entirely from fishery to business in the energy sector:

- The development in the energy sector is rapid, and we experience a huge demand of offshore wind turbines in the North Sea. It is therefore essential that the Port of Esbjerg had vision and foresight to for instance expand the harbor. We are now not only able to meet demands but also to take an active part in shaping the future development, says Mayor Johnny Søtrup.