The municipal council of Thisted Municipality has almost just approved that the former Liberal politician, Minister of Taxation, Finance and Foreign Affairs Kristian Jensen will become chairman of the board of Hanstholm Port. It is a position that Kristian Jensen will hold in addition to his work as special envoy for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he is working to ensure that Denmark gets a temporary seat on the UN Security Council. This means that Kristian Jensen will travel all over the world - but in addition to that, at the end of January he has already made the trip from his home in Herning to Hanstholm Port several times. These are preparations for him to take over the chairmanship in March.
- I have been to the port three times for introductory meetings with the board, and I met the port council, says Kristian Jensen, and he is completely in line with the very specific plans for Hanstholm's future. It includes an energy cluster with wind turbines on the port area, PtX with methanol production and sector coupling to Hanstholm city's district heating network.
Other ports in Denmark have visions of the same as Hanstholm Port - but few are announcing them. This is not the case in Hanstholm Port, where the Jante Act does not apply, even though it is located in Thy in Northwest Jutland.
- If you don't have plans, you won't get anywhere. We have a fishing fleet that is ready to switch to green methanol, and we are one step ahead of the other ports in planning. We collaborate with Thy-Mors Energi and European Energy. We want to be Europe's first CO2 neutral port, says Kristian Jensen, who emphasizes that he will not take over the chairmanship until March.
But he has clearly already thoroughly familiarized himself with the arguments that speak against a rapid switch from the fishing fleet's diesel-powered engines to methanol. The shipyard industry is reporting that the fishing industry is under severe economic pressure, among other things due to Brexit and fewer fish.
- We still believe that we have an obligation to stick to the new. When I was Minister of Finance, I went to the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, where I heard BlackRock talk about what the future of investment is. They already said back then that the investment of the future must be green in order to give black numbers on the bottom line. When a company like BlackRock says that, you realize that green is important, says Kristian Jensen.
The investment company is known for its extremely aggressive pursuit of high returns. Greed, greed and crude capitalism are just some of the things that the company has been criticized for in the past. In Denmark, the company is best known for buying up residential properties in Copenhagen and subsequently squeezing out the tenants, so that the apartments after renovation can provide a sky-high return.
When this type of company has found out that green investments are the right way to profit, Kristian Jensen sees a clear signal of green transition.
Production of green methanol
Even if the methanol engine already exists, there must be a very good reason for the individual fisherman to replace the engine. There is not enough green methanol on the market, and the price will be three times as high as diesel before a CO2 tax is introduced, which will reduce the price difference. This is where Kristian Jensen can use his political experience to the benefit of the port and the green transition.
- No one will change legislation because Kristian Jensen says so, but I know the political system. It should not just be a dream, but a reality with the production of green methanol.
Of course, this requires that you pay a more genuine price for fossil fuels. It requires at least that it be like this in the EU and in Norway, says Kristian Jensen.
A CO2 tax would simply accelerate the use of green fuels, because the price between fossil and green fuels would approach each other.
- The myth about the green transition is that it will be free. The truth is that it will cost. But it will cost even more if we do not act now. That is why we need to come and accelerate the development. There is already pressure from the consumer and the market – a company like BlackRock knows that, explains Kristian Jensen.
That green fuels will be part of that future. He has no doubt about that.
- We have been discussing for the last 20 years how we can make heavy truck, aircraft and ship traffic fossil-free. That is why I believe there is an opportunity here. We have a concrete plan on how we can create a niche within fish and energy in the Port of Hanstholm, says Kristian Jensen.
The next steps here are to further develop the collaboration with Thy-Mors Energi and European Energy.
The resource CO2
When the plans for PtX fall through, there will be a need for CO2, because it is a necessary part of the production of methanol.
- In the longer term, we need to look at how we can secure a permanent agreement on the supply of CO2. Here it is obvious that the Port of Aalborg with their CO2 emissions is worth looking at. It would also make sense for Aalborg Portland, because they would then be able to sell cement with lower CO2 emissions, says Kristian Jensen.
Port Director Nils Skeby has already previously talked about the idea of a CO2 pipeline that would run from Aalborg Portland's cement factory to Hanstholm Port. CCS could also come into play here.
- It is clear that we must investigate the possibilities for storing CO2 further, says Kristian Jensen.
New York Times and Hanstholm Port
However, there are also paths that Hanstholm Port should not take.
- It is already natural that we should not be a marina. And there will also not be housing on the port, as you see in other places.
- But we must be even better at connecting the city and the port together. The port needs to have a closer connection to the city, as it is now, there is no natural flow between the city and the port. It is a job that Nils Skeby has already started, says Kristian Jensen.
Another thing that is also proud of at the port is its fresh fish and the opportunity to eat it at the port, where there are two options for classic shooting stars. Something that the locals highly recommend when you come to Hanstholm. But there is also the restaurant, which has garnered international attention. Kristian Jensen knows that.
- It's fantastic to have a restaurant like Medvind in the harbor, which has been mentioned in the New York Times, he says of the restaurant, which was opened by two young women in a former harbor cafeteria, where fishermen used to come for rolls and coffee at five in the morning.
Now there is only fresh fish and vegetables on the menu, prepared by one of the women, who has worked as a chef in New York at Danish star restaurants.
So it seems that green energy and fresh fish will also go hand in hand at the harbor in Hanstholm in the future.
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