Port capacity for upcoming wind turbine test center XXL :
The Port of Hanstholm seems better equipped for giant turbines than the Port of Rømø

Port capacity is seen in the industry as a potential bottleneck in Denmark's upcoming expansion of offshore wind. But a new upcoming test center for wind turbines, which will reach a full 450 meters into the sky, also requires port capacity for the shipment of the large turbine elements.

Today, there are two candidates left for the location of the test center. It concerns either a completely new test center in Ballum Enge in Tønder Municipality, or an expansion of the existing test center in Østerild. There is massive resistance in both Thisted and Tønder.

The industry organization Green Power Denmark does not currently have a preferred location, Deputy CEO Jan Hylleberg told DOI.dk. He also said that if Ballum Enge were to be elected, the port of shipment of the turbines should be the Port of Rømø.

The size of the upcoming turbines means that the Port of Hanstholm, which currently ships wind turbine parts to the existing Test Center Østerild, is coming closer to its capacity limit.

- I immediately think that we can ship the larger turbines, says port manager Søren Zohnesen and adds:

- We are nowhere near the impossible.

The Port of Hanstholm is already shipping turbine parts for new turbines in Østerild, but there is also a shipment of old ones. test turbines. And the port was last expanded in 2020, and there is a quay with a basin depth of up to 10 meters.

- We ship turbine parts in or out about once a year. Last time we had turbine blades of almost 116 meters. As it is right now, we can get around the harbor with wings of up to approximately 140 meters, says the harbor manager.

The ships that bring the turbine parts to the harbor today are not small either.

- Rotra Mare and Rotra Vende protrude six to seven meters, as I remember, says Søren Zohnesen about the ships, which according to vesselfinder.com are 154 meters and almost 142 meters long, respectively.

Søren Zohnesen also points out that it is not only the length of the wings that is important.

- Now the wings have also a size where weight also matters.

Port manager on Rømø: Anything is possible.

The Port of Rømø seems to be challenged if the port were to become the embarkation port for a possible future test center in Ballum Enge. On the the port's website, the maximum limit for ships of 140 meters in the port. But the port has been investigated to determine whether it is possible to ship the large turbine parts.

- I don't see it as a problem whether it is a 140 or 160 meter long ship. DTU has had people here to measure, and they know the facts about the port, says Port Manager Thorkil Hansen, adding:

- Anything is possible, and things can be adjusted, or the port can be expanded.

According to vesselfinder.com, the ships that currently deliver the test turbines to the Port of Hanstholm are six and a half meters deep on their current voyages.

- I assume that this can be solved if it becomes relevant. You can also load the elements on a barge or a tugboat, which is shorter. And we can also take jack-up vessels that are flat-bottomed, explains Thorkil Hansen.

The shipping channel up to the port goes through the Wadden Sea, which leads through a dynamic sandbank called the Grate. According to the Port of Rømø's own website, the estimated water depth here is five to six meters.

Any permits may take time

If the Port of Rømø is to be used to ship wind turbines to a possible test center in Ballum Enge, the turbines must be driven from the port to Ballum Enge. This is a road that, among other things, leads over the Rømø Dam, which is owned by the state (Coastal Directorate) and Tønder Municipality.

At the Coastal Directorate, coastal technical manager Per Sørensen does not see any problem for the dam in the event of heavy transport.

- The same applies to the dam as to other roads, which are 10 tons axle load. It is something that can be solved technically, says Per Sørensen.

He also knows the approach to Havneby and Rømø Harbour very well.

- Just getting into Havneby with a larger vessel is a challenge. The approach turns a lot, and that has to be taken into account, explains Per Sørensen.

Both the port and the approach could be changed to accommodate larger ships, which is almost a trend among ports right now.

- We have seen how Esbjerg, Hvide Sande, Thorsminde, Grenå and Rønne have invested a lot in the port in connection with wind, it is said.

Although Rømø Port could be expanded, there may be a time-consuming hurdle on the way.

- This will require studies of what excavating shipping channels means for birds and mussel beds, and what increased propeller noise means. Maybe it doesn't matter, but it could be time, because permits have to be applied for. For example, Esbjerg is in the process of applying for permits for the expansions to the NATO port. As a port, you have to think about it, it takes time, explains Per Sørensen.