Port Esbjerg has completed a major infrastructure upgrade, deepening its fairway from 9.3 to 12.8 metres.
The enhancement will allow the Danish port to accommodate larger vessels and handle significantly higher cargo volumes, while strengthening its strategic role in the energy and defence sectors.
The project involved relocating over 3.7 million cubic metres of seabed material along the 21.6-kilometre Grådyb fairway.
The port anticipates doubling its cargo throughput over the next 10 years as a result.
READ: Liebherr to deliver new mobile harbour crane to Port Esbjerg
The deepened channel supports Port Esbjerg’s position as Europe’s leading port for offshore wind logistics. As vessels and components grow in size, the added depth aims to ensure the port remains competitive and capable of handling next-generation installation ships.
“This is a milestone that strengthens our position as an international hub for logistics and energy,” said Dennis Jul Pedersen, CEO of Port Esbjerg.
“We are already seeing that several partners and companies within the maritime sector are in need of ports that can accommodate significantly larger vessels. This is no longer something lying in the future – it is here and now. And now, Port Esbjerg is ready.”
The fairway deepening received DKK 211 million ($32 million) from the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility and has led to Port Esbjerg’s designation as a strategic hub within the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T).
A portion of the dredged material was repurposed to expand the port’s southern area, and environmental assessments were conducted in collaboration with public authorities.
Board Chairman Søren Gade commented: “We have reached a crucial milestone that opens the port to the vessels shaping the future of energy and security. This strengthens not only Port Esbjerg, but also Denmark’s role in the green transition and in international defence cooperation.”
Pedersen added, “We now have a port ready to meet the demands of the future, and we look forward to realising its full potential in close partnership with both the energy and defence sectors.”
In 2023, Port Esbjerg received a replacement unit—a new LHM 800 High Rise crane delivered by Liebherr-MCCtec Rostock GmbH. The delivery was supported by Liebherr’s service engineers and technical specialists, who assisted with the recovery process.
