While the debate about the expansion of the Port of Aarhus is currently dividing the waters, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Port of Grenaa Bent Hansen suggests that the two ports should work more closely together.
- We are solving some of the same tasks, and when Aarhus is squeezed for space, I think it is natural to look at whether there are some tasks that we can solve together, says Bent Hansen to TV2 Østjylland.
He therefore believes that Jacob Bundsgaard (S), Chairman of the Port of Aarhus and Mayor of Aarhus, should look towards the Port of Grenaa, which has plenty of space.
- It is not square meters that we are missing. The right bulk tasks with regard to animal feed, sand, gravel, wood chips and similar tasks that take up a lot of space, Grenaa can help Aarhus with, so that it is not so squeezed for space, believes Bent Hansen, who until 2017 was the Social Democratic regional council chairman in the Central Denmark Region.
He has the support of a Grenaa resident, Social Democratic member of parliament Leif Lahn, who believes that when you have difficulty developing the port in Aarhus, it is "absolutely obvious" to look to Grenaa.
- We have lots of growth opportunities and skills throughout East Jutland, and Grenaa can do something in terms of the professional side, but also in terms of space, and there we can really contribute to greater growth opportunities in the port area, says Leif Lahn.
He knows the port from when he was a dock worker at the Port of Aarhus from 1990 to 2007, when he was elected Folketinget.
- I have worked at the Port of Aarhus for many years, and I have also followed the development there. We are also just in a situation now where I am worried that there are some growth opportunities that we may miss if we do not think beyond the Port of Aarhus and Aarhus, says the Social Democratic member of parliament and elaborates:
- It is completely stupid if we do not look at each other's competencies, and here Grenaa is just a good player that has the opportunity to grow even more. Not only for the benefit of Djursland and all of East Jutland, but also for Aarhus, says Leif Lahn.
The customers decide
Whether the two city and party comrades will succeed with their charm offensive seems a bit uncertain, although commercial director at the Port of Aarhus Carsten Kruse starts by saying that the Port of Aarhus would like to cooperate with everyone who wants to cooperate with the port.
- But you just have to remember that it is always the customers who decide. That is, those who import or export the goods all over the world, says Carsten Kruse and continues.
- You sail to where it is most efficient in terms of receiving the goods on the other side. Fewer kilometers inland, and Aarhus is just bigger and more efficient, says the commercial director.
Asked if he would rule out creating a collaboration that could make it more attractive for customers with certain types of goods to sail to Grenaa, as Bent Hansen suggests, he says.
- We do not rule out anything, but it is always the customers who decide. It is the customers' goods, not our goods, that must be remembered.
In recent months, the discussion about the possible expansion of the Port of Aarhus has played a major role in the local debate. Among other things, over 1,500 consultation responses have been received - predominantly negative - about the planned expansion of 104 hectares, which corresponds to just over one million square meters. For example, there was a demonstration against the port expansion last weekend.
Will face space problems
Carsten Kruse is well aware of the resistance, and if it ends with a no to the expansion, the port will face a space problem.
- What we are now spending our time on down at the port is to streamline and try to get customers to cooperate so that we become more efficient and use less space, explains the commercial director, who does not want to talk about the risk of the Port of Aarhus being closed down if the expansion is not carried out.
- But it is quite clear that if we do not expand, there will be more queues and more waiting times, and the goods will become more expensive, and it will also be worse for the environment, because then more will end up on trucks, says Carsten Kruse, noting the Port of Aarhus' status as Denmark's largest commercial port.
TV2 Østjylland spoke on Wednesday with an Aarhus city council member who wonders why he has not heard of alternatives to a port expansion. It is Metin Lindved Aydin, city council member in Aarhus for the Radical Left.
- As a politician, I have not seen any alternative proposals presented, and I think that is a big shortcoming. I think that now that we can cooperate with Syddjurs Municipality and Norddjurs Municipality on the operation of an airport, we can perhaps also cooperate on the operation of the ports of East Jutland, says Metin Lindved Aydin.
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