Germans plough millions into North Sea ports

The Managing Director of port operator Niedersachen Ports (NPorts), Holger Banik, said “2017 is a year of milestones for us. Important construction projects are entering the home stretch. Infrastructure development in our ports is geared to growth …”.

NPorts interest in 2017 centres on development projects at three of the five main ports it owns. Attention is focused mainly on Cuxhaven and the creation there of a German Offshore Industry Centre.

By mid year Siemens has said it will begin production of nascelles for offshore wind turbines at its new €200 million site in Cuxhaven. Located directly on the Elbe and covering 170,000 m2 it is Siemens’ first such plant in Germany.

One of the main reasons for the development of the adjacent new €9.5 million heavy lift Berth 9.3 is that after it is completed in summer it will handle shipment of the wind turbine nascelles produced by Siemens. The fixed, heavy lift Ro-Ro ramp will be115m long and 55m wide and specifically designed for heavy project loads of more than 1000 tons. A local consortium is building it.

Also for completion this year in Cuxhaven is the construction of the 240m long Berth 4 on deep Elbe water as part of a new 85,000m2, multi-purpose terminal costing €36 million. Capable of handling ships drawing 14.5m it will handle a wide range of commodities.

In NPorts’ Emden, Germany’s third largest North Sea Coast seaport , after Bremen/Bremerhaven and Wilhelmshaven, construction work at the Nesserlander Lock was at last word due for completion this year with some work continuing into 2018. The renovated lock will be 170m long,18m wide and 7m deep, NPorts reported. This correspondent has been told the cost will be “below the €120 million mark”.

Holger Banik said last year the renovation would “enormously ease the burden” on Emden’s biggest lock facility –the 260m x 40m Grosse Seeschleuse sea lock. Inspection and possible renovation of that facility could now follow Nesserlander Lock completion.

Finally, NPorts said improvements were being made this year to increase capacity in the port of Brake. Completion of a second berth for big ships at the Südpier will create berthing for two ships of 270m drawing up to11.9m, it said.

The Lower Saxony Ports together handled 48.6 million tons last year. That’s 6% down on 2015, but the predictions are good for 2017. More containers are expected at the deepwater Jade Weser Port Container Terminal in Wilhelmshaven – NPorts biggest port – where prospects are less gloomy after years of slow growth.

By Tom Todd