A comprehensive dredging project in Nakskov Fjord is nearing completion. The shipping channel into Nakskov Harbour has been straightened, deepened and made 10 meters wider over a stretch of more than 10 kilometers.
The purpose of the expansion has been to create more space for the transport of wind turbine blades from Vestas' blade factory in Nakskov. According to Lolland Havne, the project is driven by developments in the wind turbine industry, where blades are getting longer and thus placing greater demands on both width and maneuverability in the shipping channel. This is reported by TV 2 Øst.
- We have a lot going on with the wind turbine industry, and it's no secret that wind turbine blades are getting longer and longer year after year, says Jørgen Buhl, who is the port traffic manager at Lolland Havne.
Long process
The work has been a long time in the making. Since 2018, it has been decided that the shipping channel should be expanded, but the necessary authority permits were delayed. For a period, this caused Vestas to rattle its saber in relation to the future of the factory, which employs approx. 1,000 employees, if there are no slippages in the process.
- We need to get clarification on whether this shipping channel will come through. If it doesn't, we will have to look at something else, where we ship from other places in Europe, says Vestas' COO Tommy Rahbek Nielsen in December 2023.
However, it still took more than half a year, but in the autumn of 2024 the permits were in place, after which the excavation work could start in early 2025. After a break over the summer, the project is expected to be completed within a month.
This is a major project. The new shipping channel will have a depth of 8.5 meters and in several places goes through areas where there was previously less than one meter of water. A total of 322,000 cubic meters of seabed have been moved and deposited in an area in the sea between Lolland and Langeland. At the same time, several sharp bends in the former shipping channel have been removed or made smaller, so that ships can sail more directly to and from the port with long cargoes.
amp
Text, graphics, images, sound, and other content on this website are protected under copyright law. DK Medier reserves all rights to the content, including the right to exploit the content for the purpose of text and data mining, cf. Section 11b of the Copyright Act and Article 4 of the DSM Directive.
Customers with IP agreements/major customer agreements may only share Danish Offshore Industry articles internally for the purpose of handling specific cases. Sharing in connection with specific cases refers to journaling, archiving, or similar uses.
Customers with a personal subscription/login may not share Danish Offshore Industry articles with individuals who do not themselves have a personal subscription to Danish Offshore Industry.
Any deviation from the above requires written consent from DK Medier.
