Half of Danish ports now working with wind energy - more on the way

The trade organization Danish Ports, which represents the country's commercial ports, has mapped the country's ports to get an overview of how many are actually involved in the Danish wind adventure. The results show that 25-30 ports already have wind energy as a business area, and even more will do so in just a few years, according to the trade organization.

Over the past ten years, Danish ports have played a central role in the so-called Danish wind adventure, which, according to Wind Denmark, already employs around 33,000 people in Denmark and will grow considerably in the coming years.

"The wind adventure is spreading, and Danish ports have developed it into a rapidly growing business area, especially in recent years. And when we map the ports' role in the wind adventure, it clearly shows how much it means in the country. Our review shows that 25-30 ports already have wind energy on their program today, and this will only increase in the future as offshore wind becomes an even more prominent part of Danish energy production," says Tine Kirk Pedersen, CEO of Danish Ports.

A wide range of exciting business areas
The work with wind energy covers a broad spectrum in the Danish ports. The Port of Esbjerg is, of course, at the forefront, as it is a world leader in offshore wind power, and as an example, more than 80% of the offshore wind power capacity installed in Europe today is shipped from Esbjerg. Wind turbines have now been installed at ports in more and more other parts of Denmark, providing green power for both ports and cities, and experts from Danish ports in Asia and elsewhere are also used when new offshore wind farms are being planned and developed.

"The Port of Grenaa sends experts on knowledge-sharing assignments to Asia because their knowledge is in demand. New wind turbines at the Port of Hirtshals have in just a few months turned not only the port but the entire town into an electricity-positive energy town. Parts for wind turbines are shipped from many locations such as the Port of Aabenraa, the Port of Nakskov and the Port of Fredericia, to name a few. At Lindø Port of Odense they produce the world's largest nacelles for wind turbines, and at the Port of Aalborg they have a huge test center. It's happening in all parts of the country, and it's only growing," says Tine Kirk Pedersen and adds

"In addition, I would also like to highlight the Port of Hvide Sande, which has been chosen as the operations and maintenance center for Denmark's next and largest offshore wind farm Horns Rev 3 in the North Sea, Ørsted will build a gigantic wind farm off the Port of Rønne, and the Port of Klintholm on Møn will be the service port for the large offshore wind farm Kriegers Flak. Incidentally, these are places where these kinds of tasks take up an enormous amount of space and have a really positive effect on the entire local area and the hinterland, because it greatly supports local employment."

Great European potential
In Denmark, there are currently more than 4,000 wind turbines on land and 500 at sea, according to figures from Wind Denmark. With the 2018 Energy Agreement, the Danish Parliament decided that Denmark must continue to expand wind energy on land and especially at sea in the future. More and more is being moved to the sea, as offshore wind is far more energy efficient. The number of onshore wind turbines is expected to fall by around 50% by 2030, while the vast majority of future construction will take place in huge offshore wind farms in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. This is according to Wind Denmark, the wind turbine industry's trade organization.

But these are the Danish conditions. Looking more broadly at the rest of Europe, the potential looks even greater:

"There is certainly the European angle as well. In Denmark, around 15 percent of electricity comes from offshore wind, according to figures from the Danish Energy Association. But at EU level, it is only two percent. The European Commission has previously estimated that the capacity of offshore wind power will have to increase at least 20-fold if the goal of a climate-neutral Europe is to be achieved by 2050. This shows that there is enormous potential, and it is important that Denmark continues to be at the forefront. Our ports are already playing a major and decisive role in the wind adventure, but it can become even bigger in the future if we stay focused and the investments keep up," concludes Tine Kirk Pedersen.