HJØRRING: The Port of Hirtshals is to be expanded to make room for the port's ambitions to become a CO2 hub and Europe's greenest port. But perhaps having learned from the economic chaos that large construction projects have led to in the nearby ports of Frederikshavn and Hanstholm, the owner of the Port of Hirtshals, Hjørring Municipality, has chosen to slow down the pace of the expansion.
This is evident in the fact that the project to expand the Nordhavnen port is now being divided into stages in a so-called "Hirtshals model", where the focus will initially be on improving navigation conditions. The entire tender has therefore now been cancelled. The port states in a press release that the cancellation is an expression of "the port's board - as with the rest of the business - wants the expansion of the port to be done in a responsible manner."
- It is important that we at the Port of Hirtshals always have a healthy balance between our expenses and potential income. I can best compare the decision to divide the port expansion into stages with a family that wants to renovate their house and build an addition, says Chairman of the Board of Directors of Hirtshals Port, Michael Lundgaard Thomsen, adding:
- They may well want to have it all done within six months, but if the basic conditions change due to unforeseen technical challenges or the budget exceeds the set framework, it may well be that you have to wait a year or two to build a new carport or consider alternative cheaper solutions.
Was going to be more expensive than expected
The Port of Hirtshals had budgeted expenses of one billion kroner for the expansion, but the indicative bids were significantly more expensive. The combination of, among other things, more expensive materials and uncertainties about the general economic development in the markets resulted in higher expected expenses for the port expansion than initially estimated. Therefore, the port is now instead working on the port expansion in a new model, where the expansion is taking place at a pace that is economically justifiable.
- It is therefore timely care that we cancel the tender and continue with the port expansion in a different way. We are still determined to complete the port expansion, but we are dividing the very large project into smaller pieces instead of doing it all at once. This simply means that we are putting food on the table, says Michael Lundgaard Thomsen.
The Port of Hirtshals' ambition to become the greenest port in Europe will not be affected by the decision to cancel the tender. The port is continuing to work purposefully with its plans to become a hub for the production and consumption of renewable energy and to establish partnerships with companies working on green transition.
- As the owner of the Port of Hirtshals, we at Hjørring Municipality can only support the port's choice to cancel the ongoing tender. This helps ensure that the expansion takes place at the right pace, which does not impose a greater financial risk on the port – or the municipality's citizens – than is absolutely necessary, says Søren Smalbro (V), Mayor of Hjørring Municipality and Deputy Chairman of the Port of Hirtshals.
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