Sikuki Nuuk Harbour has entered into an agreement with the Ministry of Defence to establish a naval quay for the Navy’s ships in connection with the upcoming expansion of Nuuk Harbour. The agreement is part of the Danish military buildup in the Arctic.
“It is crucial that the Defence has the best possible working conditions to solve their tasks in and around Greenland. I am therefore very pleased that the Defence and Sikuki Nuuk Harbour are cooperating on the establishment of a naval quay for the Defence, so that the Defence’s ships can have a dedicated port for the ships,” says Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen.
A tender for the expansion of the harbour is expected to be initiated during the autumn of 2025, and the naval quay is expected to be approximately 150 meters long with a water depth of approximately 10 meters.
The naval quay will be able to be opened when the Defence or allies are not present in the harbour, so that civilian ship traffic can also use the quay space.
“As part of the strengthening of the Defence’s task execution in Greenland, it is the Naalakkersuisut’s wish that as many initiatives as possible benefit the Greenlandic society. A new naval quay in Nuuk is a welcome dual-use project, which can also contribute to supporting the increasing civilian ship traffic in Nuuk. I view this very positively,” says Vivian Motzfeldt, Naalakkersuisoq for Foreign Affairs and Research.
The naval quay will be established, owned, and operated by Sikuki Nuuk Harbour as the remaining part of Nuuk Harbour.
“In line with the positive development in civilian ship traffic, including cruise ship traffic, the Defence is challenged by the limited quay capacity in Nuuk Harbour. There is therefore no doubt that the establishment of a naval quay in Nuuk will strengthen the Defence’s military operations in Greenland while at the same time, the Defence will to a greater extent be able to utilize Nuuk’s new international airport. Furthermore, a naval quay will increase the use of local businesses and suppliers and not least strengthen the already close cooperation with Sikuki Nuuk Harbour. Therefore, I am also happy that the naval quay can be used for other ship traffic when the Defence is not using the quay facility,” says Major General Søren Andersen, who is head of the Arctic Command.
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