New cable hub positions Baltic for offshore growth

Subsea cable specialist WIND Group has signed a long-term agreement with Swedish port operator Smålandshamnar to establish a dedicated cable storage and offshore service hub at the port to support offshore wind and subsea cable projects across the Baltic.

The development centres on a 435-metre quay with a minimum water depth of 10.3 metres, enabling the port to handle a wide range of offshore support and cable-laying vessels while facilitating ship-to-ship cable transfers.

Tom Nooij, CEO of WIND, said the investment represented an important step in strengthening the company’s regional operations.

“By bringing together the capabilities across the entire WIND Group, we can offer clients a comprehensive range of services, from carousel rental and logistics to equipment supply, maintenance and vessel mobilisation through our colleagues at Draftec,” he said. ”This integrated approach strengthens our ability to support offshore projects with efficient, reliable solutions.”

Niclas Strömqvist, CEO of Smålandshamnar, said the agreement was a strategic investment that reinforces Oskarshamn’s ambitions to become a leading centre for offshore energy in northern Europe and would create opportunities for new business, long-term employment and development of the port’s offshore energy capabilities.

Located on Sweden’s southeast coast, the Port of Oskarshamn is one of the country’s principal Baltic ports, serving project cargo, forest products, bulk commodities, energy-related cargoes and ferry traffic to Gotland. The port has positioned offshore wind and energy logistics as a major growth area, with extensive development land, heavy-lift capacity and direct access to the Baltic Sea.

While considerably smaller than Europe’s largest gateway ports such as Rotterdam, Antwerp-Bruges and Hamburg, Oskarshamn occupies a niche role as a regional logistics hub. Its scale and uncongested infrastructure make it well suited to specialist offshore operations, project cargo and subsea cable handling, supporting the growing pipeline of offshore wind developments across the Baltic region.