Hirtshals Havn has announced the first stage of the upcoming port expansion. The stage will consist of an extension of the outer western breakwater, which will improve navigation conditions.
“We have always known that the primary focus of the port expansion must be improving navigation conditions to the port,” says Niels Kiersgaard, technical director and responsible for the port expansion at Hirtshals Havn.
“There are several ways to improve navigation conditions, and we have chosen the solution that best combines technical efficiency and financial responsibility,” says Niels Kiersgaard.
An extension of the outer western breakwater will create more shelter and thus calmer wave conditions in the approach, giving ships better maneuvering capabilities and increasing the regularity of ship and ferry arrivals and departures. It is one of the essential prerequisites for future larger ships to call at the port even in harsh weather.
The next step in implementing stage 1 of the port is an application to the Danish Transport Authority, which includes, among other things, a detailed project description and environmental impact assessment.
After this, the project will go to public consultation, and later it will be put out to tender, where interested contractors will have the opportunity to bid on the project.
“We are engaged in extensive coordination work with many procedures and requirements. Additionally, we must map everything from the placement of construction materials to space conditions for work vessels and ensure full operational activity for the port and its customers during construction. By the end of 2026 or early 2027, we expect the first stones to be placed on the Vestmolen,” says Niels Kiersgaard.
Last autumn, Hirtshals Havn abandoned plans for a much more extensive port expansion, as the economics of the plan did not add up.
-mauh
