On Wednesday, it was decided that the German RWE company Thor Wind Farm I/S will build the offshore wind farm Thor, Holstebro Municipality and Thorsminde Port once again focused on the battle over who will be the service port for the wind farm and win the many jobs that come with it. The port is turning its hoses green in the fight to win RWE's favor.
- We have gone 'all in' to be part of the upcoming wind adventure. We are talking about a project that will generate over 8,000 jobs in the construction phase, and here a service port and local forces can come into play to that extent. Thorsminde already has a geographical advantage when it comes to the distance between the farm and the mainland, and thus also shorter transport time and less fuel consumption. And there is a strong local commitment to development in the city, says Mayor H.C. Østerby (S) on Thursday in a press release.
Thorsminde Port is not the only port that has turned its nose up at green jobs. DK Vindkraft has previously visited several ports that hope to become a service port for Thor. You can read or reread that story below.
The three giant windmills at the port can be seen long before the city on the narrow strip of land between Ringkøbing Fjord and the North Sea. In their own way, the windmills depict the port's history and ability to exploit wind and weather to their own advantage, and how climate adaptation and change have always played a key role for the small coastal community.
It has been more than 100 years since the state decided to dig a canal through the dunes to gain better control over some areas by Ringkøbing Fjord that were often flooded. Later, the canal widened, and it became necessary to erect concrete blocks to protect the canal from the heat of the sea, and in 1931 a lock system was established, and it was now possible to regulate the fjord and the water level. The system also became the foundation for a new fishing port and town. This made Hvide Sande a historic climate adaptation project almost by accident.
Fishing has since meant almost everything to the town. But the number of fishing vessels that dock in Hvide Sande is dwindling. There were fewer and fewer fishing boats, which in turn became bigger and bigger.
The port tried to adapt to the new, larger ships. A local business fund invested in the three giant windmills that face the North Sea, which create a new kind of revenue for the port, which could also finance large parts of the port's new investments. The fishermen returned, and the landing value increased to 250 million. DKK, but the last two years the turnover from fishing has fallen. On the other hand, a new opportunity has arisen:
- Previously, it was only tourism and fishing that created the foundation for the city, but now the palette has expanded. The new activities around wind turbines create activity, create jobs and create a more complex and balanced foundation for the city, says port director Steen Davidsen.
- People have always been good at seizing the opportunities they get here
Thousands of man-years at stake
Denmark has big plans for a number of offshore wind farms in the coming years in addition to two artificial energy islands by 2030. They will produce lots of sustainable energy that can help Denmark in the green transition, but they will also create many jobs.
A number of ports in West Jutland are very interested in attracting these jobs, and they are therefore in fierce competition to become service ports for, for example, the upcoming Thor offshore wind farm of 800-1,200 MW.
And there are a lot of jobs involved. This summer, an analysis from the industry organizations Wind Denmark, Danish Shipping and Danish Energy showed that for every gigawatt of offshore wind, 14,600 man-years were generated from the planning phase to the dismantling of the wind turbines 25 years later.
Many of the jobs naturally go to the manufacturers of the wind turbines, but there are many jobs at stake when it comes to deciding where, for example, wind turbines will be shipped from and where the wind turbines will subsequently be serviced. When the Anholt offshore wind farm was built in the Kattegat, it generated orders worth 450 million DKK in the local business network, and 330 extra jobs were created.
Will seize the opportunity again
During the installation of the offshore wind farm Horns Rev 3, Hvide Sande had around 130 different employees living in the town, which otherwise has less than 3,000 inhabitants in total. In addition, Hvide Sande expects 25-30 new full-time employees over the next 20-25 years in the role of service port for Horns Rev 3, which has only strengthened the port's interest.
- Horns Rev 3 is not enough for us. We believe that we both want to, can and have the capacity for more. We have built up experience and service offerings in connection with Horns Rev 3 and feasibility studies for Thor. As more and more calls arrive, we become more and more visible in the market. We are a small port, but we are quick to adapt, says Steen Davidsen.
And just like the city's creation, it's about seizing the opportunities that come along the west coast. Hvide Sande Port briefly tried to be a shipping port for the enormous offshore wind turbines, but that project was shelved. But it's about constantly being at the forefront of developments and adapting.
- It's about being careful in the right time, while also daring to invest and put your hand on the stove. It takes years to complete these projects, and you can't just wait. You have to use common sense and solid ground to prepare yourself, so that on the day the opportunity comes and the ball opens, you're ready to dance, says Steen Davidsen.
Flexibility, distance and maybe a helipad
45 kilometers to the north lies Thorsminde Port. At the entrance to Nissum Fjord, 300 people live in the small fishing village, and on a sunny day most of them seem to be sitting at the Strandingsmuseum St. George and Café Havglimt, both located by the water.
Like Hvide Sande, Thorsminde and Holstebro Municipality see great potential in the port as a service port for Thor, and for some time they have been publicly courting Thor through networks and the press.
- Thorsminde is a fishing port where fishing no longer fills the port. We have discussed the port's future prospects in the board, and the location of Thor has made the offshore area an obvious choice. In a town with 300 residents and 10-12 jobs at the port, it goes without saying how much it will mean for the area, says port director Lisette Sønderby and continues:
- We are very flexible here, and there is great willingness to adapt the port to offshore.
The municipality has played a very active role in making the port attractive, including an offer to upgrade the skills of relevant workers who can service the wind turbines. The municipality is also investigating the possibility of establishing a helipad at the port, which can make it easier and more efficient to service the wind turbines, especially when the weather is bad.
- Time is money. Distance is flight time. Flight time is money, says Director of Technology and Environment Anders Debel, who is also quick to point out that Thorsminde is the closest port to Thor, just 20 kilometers as the crow flies.
This is a good example of how the municipality is ready to help create the right conditions. In addition to Anders Debel, the municipality's director of business and labor market and the municipal director are also heavily involved, which just emphasizes how important an issue it is.
- I can't really point to other projects of this type where we are as massively present as here. And that's because this is really important. Jobs are a prerequisite for settlement, and it's important that there's butter on the table.
So it's about both green transition and local development, but it's also something-for-something between national strategies and local actors.
- We know that it's the beach and nature that make the west coast attractive, especially to our German tourists. This will be affected in one way or another by the fact that there are some wind turbines out at sea. Therefore: When we pay the price to some extent, the city council naturally also has an expectation that the municipality's citizens and businesses will get a piece of the pie, says Anders Debel.
From fish hall to offshore
A further 40 kilometers to the north is Thyborøn. As with the other port towns, the maritime plays a major role in the cityscape. There is the Coastal Center Thyborøn, the JyllandsAkvariet, the Sea War Museum Jutland, the Fish Hall, ‘Æ Fiskebutik’ and fishing shops.
Above the large fish auction halls sits Finn Kjelstrup Pedersen, coordinator and project manager for the business network North Sea Offshore Service Group. The group consists of 25 companies that work together to service - and attract - the large offshore industry to the area.
Finn Kjelstrup Pedersen quickly makes it clear that things are going well in Thyborøn. Almost 100 million DKK has been invested in a new port facility for fishermen, a port basin in the inner harbor has just been renovated, new unloading facilities for 75 million DKK. has been completed over the summer, and work is now underway to increase the water depth so that better opportunities can be provided for the larger and larger ships that want to use the port.
Thyborøn Port has also set aside a large separate quay area for a possible service port, which can have plenty of space without disruption. Fishing has also been on the rise for the last ten years, even though Brexit makes future fishing rights in the North Sea uncharted waters, says Finn Kjelstrup Pedersen.
Finn Kjelstrup Pedersen is therefore calm about the fight for jobs. For him, the business does not stand or fall with the Thor decision.
- The city and the port have a really healthy economy, but a large part of that economy is tied up in fishing, and any sensible economist would say that you shouldn't put all your eggs in one basket, says Finn Kjelstrup Pedersen and adds:
- I have great confidence that it will succeed, and if not now, then later. We have a broad membership in the NorthSea Offshore Service Group, so it will probably trickle down to us, even if the choice initially falls on another port.
New opportunities for waterfront Denmark
Traditionally, there is strong cooperation between the ports along the west coast. For example, six port directors from the west coast joined together in a joint statement and announced their readiness to play a leading role for the upcoming energy island in the North Sea.
- In other contexts we collaborate crosswise along the west coast, but we are aware that with Thor we hold our cards close to our bodies, says Lisette Sønderby.
- That doesn't mean that something can't fall to the other ports. There are still more jobs and turnover for the west coast. But it is clear that we are all working to ensure that it is ourselves that is chosen as the service port, says Anders Debel.
- It is a competition where others also want to come up with the best offer. And it is no different than in any other competition, that it must be the best offer that wins, says Steen Davidsen.
However, there is also an awareness that with the green agenda, where terms such as 'energy islands', 'CO2 capture' and 'Power-to-X' will soon become part of the Danes' vocabulary, the waterfront municipalities will have new opportunities.
- The green transition is fantastically exciting and I am really looking forward to getting started and seeing the results of it, says Finn Kjelstrup Pedersen.
So regardless of who runs with the job as a service port for Thor, the west coast has been dealt a strong card.
- There is a great interest in the energy industry in what is happening out on the coast. There are a lot of interesting clues in this, and I think it can give a boost to some of these areas that are located far west, says Finn Kjelstrup Pedersen.
Danish ports in tailwind
A good half of Danish commercial ports have wind energy as a business area, and even more will have it in just a few years, estimates the trade organization Danish Ports.
The Port of Esbjerg is the world leader in offshore wind, and more than 80 percent of the offshore wind capacity installed in Europe today is shipped from Esbjerg. However, it is not only a large port like the Port of Esbjerg that has received international assignments.
For example, Klintholm Port on Møn has been chosen as a service port for the German offshore wind farm EnBW Baltic 2, one of Germany's largest offshore wind farms. German EnBW is moving its entire service staff for EnBW Baltic 2, up to 25 employees, to Møn, which has meant that a newly built hotel and a spare parts warehouse at Klintholm Harbour, as well as two crew ships, are now being built.
Source: Danish Ports
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