Port Esbjerg in Denmark has completed an upgrade to its fairway, which has been deepened to 12.8m, enhancing its capacity to accommodate larger vessels.
This development allows the port to handle increased cargo volumes and explore new opportunities in the energy and defence sectors.
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The project received DKr211m ($32.1m) in funding from the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) and has contributed to Port Esbjerg’s designation as a strategic node within the EU’s Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T).
The 21.6km fairway through Gradyb has been fully deepened, raising the water depth from 9.3m to 12.8m.
The project involved the dredging and excavation of 3.7 million cubic metres of seabed material, which was repurposed to expand the southern areas of the port.
The deepening of the fairway offers three benefits. Firstly, it enables Port Esbjerg to handle larger and heavier vessels, with expectations to double its cargo volume over the next ten years.
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By GlobalDataSecondly, the port seeks to enhance its role in offshore wind logistics, as future installation vessels and components are expected to increase in size.
Lastly, the enhanced depth allows for the reception of larger roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) and military vessels, thereby improving the port’s strategic significance for NATO and facilitating quicker responses during heightened readiness periods.
With this upgrade, Port Esbjerg joins a select group of European ports capable of accommodating this class of vessels, positioning itself to engage actively in global logistics shifts influenced by geopolitical changes and evolving trade patterns.
Port Esbjerg CEO Dennis Jul Pedersen said: “We have removed a key barrier. We are now even better positioned to serve as a centre for green energy and military logistics. The fairway is more than an engineering project – it is the foundation for our future.”
This fairway deepening is part of an infrastructure development initiative at Port Esbjerg, which includes an extended rail connection and newly reinforced areas designed for heavy logistics, particularly in relation to offshore wind operations.
In July 2023, the Port of Esbjerg signed a cooperation agreement with PensionDanmark to invest up to DKr7bn ($1bn) in its green transition.
