SSG No 20 - Shipgaz

PORTS & MARiTiMe lOGiSTiCS
Wind of change
blowing over Danish ports
Mols-linien’s trailer ferry the Maren Mols taking another load of trailers in Kalundborg.
Nearly everybody in the Danish
port environment is holding their
breath at the moment, awaiting the
report from Strukturkommisionen, a government
advisory board, giving its opinion
about the Danish port structure in the
coming 10–15 years. The report is expected
to give a new view on the port structure in
Denmark, leaving the philosophy that the
country should be served by only six major
ports (Copenhagen, Kalundborg, Århus,
Fredericia, Aabenraa and Esbjerg) and the
rest could be sold as resort areas or used for
pleasure craft.
DENMARK
This has changed and now about 18 ports
in Denmark have been much more proactive
in “selling” their harbours and services
to local industry as well as politicians.
In fact the harbour people have taken over
from the developers, which only a few
years ago attacked the harbour owners with
plans for luxury estates with a sea view.
A number of ports were actually converted
to housing areas and by this, the
politicians learned that there was no future
in housing. It does not generate any jobs
in the city, and instead of generating earnings
from the port it creates expenses, as
most of the residents are elderly people,
who will need care and attention within
few years.
Nakskov
An example of the opposite way of thinking
is Nakskov, which has not been the
target for developers. The city and its port
had a serious setback in the middle of
the 1980s when the shipyard was closed
down. Later on the port was used for the
armada of Scandlines ferries laid up for
sale after the closing of the Great Belt
crossing. In later years the shipyard facilities
have been taken over by Vestas, the
wind-turbine manufacturer, which established
a wing factory. The wings are up to
45 metres in length and need to be sailed
out on ships.
The other large production in the city
is refi nery of sugar, which also needs sea
transportation for export overseas. Both
customers in Nakskov havn need more
water depth in the fjord connecting Nakskov
with the Great Belt. A report shows that
an investment of a couple of millions will
generate up to DKK one billion in added
value to the Nakskov area as well as maintaining
some 1,700 jobs in local industry.
This kind report has opened the eyes of
the local politicians, who seem to go for
a future with more jobs and added value
42 SCAnDinAViAn SHiPPinG GAZeTTe • OCTOBeR 26, 2007
BenT MiKKelSen