Port Esbjerg has announced plans to build and hire out preassembly sites for the future offshore wind projects across Europe.
The future pre-assembly sites at the Danish port will cater to the new and larger turbine installation vessels and the bigger components that need to be assembled directly on the quayside while at the same time giving space for supporting activities and lay-down areas.
One of the leading onshore and offshore manufacturers of wind turbines, Siemens Gamesa, has been involved in the development of the setup and said it will pre-assemble and install 1.8 GW over roughly the next two years at the site.
Future windfarms will be beyond 1GW in capacity and the efficiency of installation needs to continue improving, the port said.
This means that the most efficient installation ports will have the capacity to store all the major components for an offshore wind farm and will require vast lay-down areas, which can be leased on project basis, it added.
Port Esbjerg chief executive officer Dennis Jul Pedersen said: “We believe that establishing our own pre-assembly sites and making them available to be leased by our clients, will prepare our port for the future.
“It is an example of how we wish to provide optimal flexibility for our clients and partners.”
Siemens Gamesa Esbjerg port operations manager Anders Midskov said: “Over many years, Siemens Gamesa and Port Esbjerg have had a very professional and fruitful collaboration on the pre-assembly of wind turbines for offshore wind farms.
“For the port’s future infrastructure, we appreciate that the port has involved us early on to get our input for the ideal future setup, and it has had a significant positive impact for Siemens Gamesa’s operations at the port.
“We look forward to continuing working together with Port of Esbjerg, where Siemens Gamesa will pre-assemble and install 1.8 GW over the next roughly two years.”
In 2021, WindEurope pointed out that upscaling Europe’s port infrastructure is critical for the development of offshore wind, Port Esbjerg said.
The port will play a key role as an installation port serving these markets and understand the various needs from the developers and equipment manufacturers, it added.
Port Esbjer said it recognizes that the offshore wind industry will need flexibility for service projects and access to pre-assembly sites and lay-down area.
But it added that this announcement is also about taking responsibility in supporting the green transition in Europe.