Consultation Responses

Danish Ports' Response to the Public Comment Period for the Proposed 2025–2037 Municipal Plan, Fredericia Municipality

Danske Havne has read with interest the draft Municipal Plan for 2025–2037, which the Municipality of Fredericia is currently seeking public comment on.

As the trade association for commercial ports, we focus primarily on whether the necessary conditions are in place for the port’s current and future development, and whether the municipal plans provide a solid framework for the ports to enhance their contribution to Denmark’s business community, as well as their role as logistics hubs and centers for value chains and companies that support and enable Denmark’s vital green transition.

General Comments
In recent years, it has become more important than ever to ensure the future viability of Denmark’s port industrial areas and their functions. National policymakers have also recognized this and intend to ensure it by more clearly designating commercial ports as being in the national interest. This is expected to take effect in 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 must therefore ensure that a port such as Fredericia Commercial Port:

• Subject to special considerations regarding the specialized facilities at and around the port in terms of energy supply, container traffic, and the green transition, as well as the expected developments in these areas.
• Ensures effective protection of key businesses at the port and their development plans and 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.
• Support is provided for access to the port, which has a special status as a deep-water port and an important logistics hub.

The fact that the Fredericia Commercial Port is of national interest is evident from the Port Atlas 2024 prepared by the Danish Transport Authority. Several sections of the report highlight how the port contributes to national security of supply, which is why the document should be taken into account in municipal planning considerations.

Danish Ports has noted through the media that there have been complaints from residents about noise that may originate from ships in or near the harbor. It is crucial here that municipal planning efforts work to clarify and enforce the 500-meter protection zone around the port, which is intended to ensure both the port’s current and future commercial development and operations. Danske Havne is concerned about certain wording in the proposed municipal plan that describes a desire for increased construction activity within the protection zone. It must therefore be emphasized that all of the above requirements and considerations must be secured and future-proofed before any such activity can take place.

Sincerely,
Camilla Rosenhagen