It has only been a little over five months since the Norwegian-Danish group Integrated Wind Solutions (IWS)'s first Construction Service Operation Vessels (CSOV) called at the Port of Hanstholm, and the port received its first share of offshore wind activities. And there is a firm belief that more is on the way.
- I think we will see increased wind activity within the next one to two years within O&M and marshalling, says port manager Søren Zohnesen, explaining that it is not a permanent service center:
- It will be the large CSOVs that are located out by the wind turbines for a few weeks.
And there is more to come in a few years.
- We know that the area will grow from 2026. We can see that many of the CSOVs will be ordered from the shipping companies, says Søren Zohnesen.
More options
The possibility of a dedicated service center is not exactly in the cards, but it cannot be ruled out.
- That may change when more offshore parks are built. There are certainly no projects planned in our part of the North Sea. But that's where we are just as close, he says.
He also sees the other immediate opportunities within wind.
- Otherwise, as I said, we are looking at marshalling within wind and preparation and pre-assembly as well as intermediate storage, explains the port manager.
A business area that otherwise seemed to be lost to the port is back on the map.
- We are still looking at CCS, and we do not see other ports as competitors. There will probably be enough for everyone. Our case is completely different from the one they are working on in Hirtshals, for example. It is the projects "Jammerbugt" and "Ines", where we have our potential, says Søren Zohnesen and explains how it would happen:
- The CO2 would come here in a ship, and then be stored in a pipeline. That is the potential for import opportunities.
The debt
The debt of around 500 million DKK is for which Thisted Municipality has a grace period of five years, and there are approximately three and a half years left of the grace period. This is not something that the port manager fears.
- We have a good feeling about making the port financially sustainable. We are not there yet, but we are well on our way. It is something that we are constantly focusing on. There is also good political support for the port and its development from a political perspective, assures Søren Zohnesen.
The port is now municipal, but that may change again in the future.
- Regardless of how we proceed with the port, whether it remains a municipal port or not, it will strengthen us to have been so close to the owner. When it can't be otherwise, says Søren Zohnesen, who has been with the port during the transition period from self-governing port to municipal port due to the debt.
Experience economy and tourism
Last year, a much-discussed illegally built surf cafe filled the port area, where serial entrepreneur Rasmus Fejerskov had to close his cafe. That kind of thing doesn't belong permanently at the port.
- I don't see it as a business leg for a commercial port, but we are trying to create a good framework for tourists. That means we won't be making tourist attractions at the port, he says and opens up a possibility:
- I would like the constructive dialogue, anything that is temporary and easy to handle. It could be something like a pop-up restaurant, street food or a market.
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.
