Audible response

Danske Havnes consultation response to the Proposed Municipal Plan 2025-2037, Fredericia Municipality

Danish Ports has read with interest the proposal for the Municipal Plan 2025-2037, which Fredericia Municipality is currently consulting on.

As the trade organization for commercial ports, we primarily look at whether the necessary opportunities are present for the port's current and further development, and whether the ports in the municipal plans have good frameworks for enhancing their contribution to Denmark's business community, and as a logistics hub and center for value chains and companies that support and enable the important green transition in Denmark.

General Notes
In these years, it is more important than ever that the Danish port-commercial areas and the function of the areas are future-proofed. National politicians have also recognized this and will ensure that the commercial ports are now more clearly encompassed by national interests. Expected from the summer of 2025.

In addition, regional and local business interests must also continue to be taken into account.

The commercial port in Fredericia is clearly a port of national, regional and local interest.

Municipal planning today must therefore ensure that a port like Fredericia Commercial Port:

• Included in special considerations regarding the specialized facilities at and near the port regarding energy supply, container traffic and green transition, and the expected development here.
• Achieves effective protection of the important companies at the port, and their development plans/future activities.
• Helps maintain a regional network of commercial ports that can supply the local area with raw materials. This can often be a noisy activity.
• Supported in access to the port, which has a special status as a deep-water port and as an important logistical hub.

That Fredericia Commercial Port is of national interest is evident from the Port Atlas 2024 prepared by the Danish Transport Authority. This shows in several overviews how the port contributes to national security of supply, which is why the document should be included in the municipal plan considerations.

Danish Ports has noted in the press that there have been complaints from residents about noise that may originate from ships in or near the port. It is crucial here that municipal planning works to clarify and enforce the 500-meter protection zone around the port, which is to ensure both the port's current and future business development and operation. Danish Ports may be concerned about formulations in the proposed Municipal Plan, which describe the desire for increased construction activity in the protection zone. It must therefore be emphasized that all of the above requirements and considerations must be secured and future-proofed before such a thing can take place.

Sincerely,
Camilla Rosenhagen