Sejlrende til Esbjerg Havn er uddybet: Havnen kan nu tage imod markant større skibe

The deepening of the shipping channel to the Port of Esbjerg has now been completed. The approach has been deepened from 9.3 to 12.8 meters, which gives the port the opportunity to handle much larger ships and cargo volumes. This is stated by the Port of Esbjerg in a press release.

– This is a milestone that raises the capacity and potential of the entire port, says Dennis Jul Pedersen, CEO of the Port of Esbjerg.

A total of 3,702,000 cubic meters of material have been moved in the work of digging the 21.6 km long shipping channel through Grådyb. According to the port, the deeper shipping channel means that the volume of cargo can be doubled over the next decade.

– With the deepening, we create the opportunity to double our cargo volume over the next decade. It is a quantum leap for both our customers and for Denmark's role in international energy supply and defense cooperation, says Dennis Jul Pedersen.

The port highlights three strategic benefits: larger ships can now call at the port, the offshore wind industry will have better logistics conditions, and the capacity to receive military RoRo ships will be significantly improved.

- We can already see that both the wind industry and the defense alliance need a port that can receive significantly larger ships. It is no longer something that lies in the future - it is here and now. And now we are ready, says Dennis Jul Pedersen.

The project has received 211 million. DKK in support of the EU's infrastructure fund Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), which has also led to the Port of Esbjerg now being part of the EU's Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T).

A large part of the excavated material has been reused in the expansion of the southern areas of the port. The project has been completed on time and under budget, the port informs.

The expansion does not stop here. Among other things, the Port of Esbjerg has extended the railway to the port area and fortified areas for heavy logistics, as activity increases – especially from the offshore wind sector.

– We have removed a bottleneck, and this opens up the possibility that we can become an even greater center for both green energy and military logistics. The shipping channel is a foundation for growth, safety and sustainability, says Dennis Jul Pedersen.

The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Port of Esbjerg, Søren Gade, emphasizes the importance of the project:

– We have reached an important milestone that opens the port to the ships that shape the energy supply and security of the future. It is a boost to both our capacity and our responsibility – and we are ready to take it on.  
– This not only strengthens us as a port – but the role of all of Denmark in the green transition and in international defense cooperation, says Søren Gade.

– This project has been completed – but the development continues. We now have a port that is ready to welcome the future, and we look forward to exploiting the potential together with our partners in both the energy sector and the defense alliance, says Dennis Jul Pedersen.

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