The fairway to Port Esbjerg has now been fully deepened. The upgrade is set to enable access for increased cargo volumes, larger vessels and new strategic opportunities in both the energy and defense sectors, the Port said.
“ The deepening of the fairway marks a major milestone. It expands our overall capacity and unlocks new potential for the future ,” said Dennis Jul Pedersen , CEO of Port Esbjerg.
According to the Port officials, an enormous amount of sand has been dredged, excavated and relocated.
In total, 3,702,000 cubic meters of seabed material were moved as part of the project, increasing the water depth from 9.3 to 12.8 meters.
The Port said that the 21.6 km long fairway through Grådyb has now been fully deepened and a large portion of the dredged material has been reused to expand the southern areas of the port.
Environmental impact assessments were carried out in close dialogue with authorities and the public. The entire project was completed on time and below budget.
The increased depth is set to allow Port Esbjerg to accommodate significantly larger and heavier vessels. The Port officials added that they now expect to double its cargo volume over the next decade.
Also, the new fairway ensures that Port Esbjerg can maintain – and grow – its position as one of Europe’s leading ports for offshore wind shipments.