Offshore Wind Boom Puts Squeeze on Europe’s Ports

By Luke King

Northern European ports are having to explore “every possibility” to maximize capacity, as bumper cargo volumes, buoyed by offshore wind, put a strain on terminal facilities.

Creative solutions to managing growing trade were a feature of the Thinking Outside the Box: Port Innovations to Overcome Issues of Space and Congestion main stage panel session at Breakbulk Europe 2024 in Rotterdam.

“Demand for space is a huge challenge,” said Danny Levenswaard, director of breakbulk, Port of Rotterdam. “We try to utilize every possibility,” he said, citing a port project to redesignate a former container yard to add capacity. Land reclamation is also underway at Princess Alexiahaven, part of Port of Rotterdam, to accommodate new clients. Just under 10 million cubic meters of sand will be used to reclaim 85 hectares of land.

Levenswaard’s sentiments were echoed by Theis Gisselbæk, CCO at the Port of Grenaa in Demark, which also focusses on offshore wind. “The volume is tremendous, and the project pipeline is not visible enough to support investment. We need earlier engagement from project partners.”

A quayside squeeze was not a universal problem among the panelists, however. “Space is definitely not an issue for us,” asserted Lars Greiner, managing director – multipurpose business at Red Sea Gateway Terminal, an international terminal operator located at the Port of Jeddah. He said port facilities in the region with “huge potential” but utilization rates as low as 15 percent, pointing to RSGT’s ambition to develop new international maritime hubs.

Greiner urged his peers to adopt a collaborative mindset, suggesting companies in Europe could make use of facilities in the Middle East as a “back stop”, or holding facility. “We have the luxury of space, so let’s not see each other as competitors – let’s work together.”

Ralph Mertens, marketing and business development manager at Deufol, a packing, distribution management and warehousing company, told the audience not to overlook the importance of adequate cargo packing, which he said had three major benefits.

“By packing it, you can make project cargo more stable, and it can then be stacked. If you pack it, you can also move the cargo outside to free up space in the warehouse. Finally, smaller volumes can be consolidated and packed together to gain space.”

As the session drew to a close, Greiner echoed Mertens’ sentiment. “Packaging has come so far – you don’t need to worry so much about multi-handling cargo like you did in the old days. You can pack the cargo and store it safely for long periods of time.”

The session was moderated by Susan Oatway, senior research analyst at S&P Global, and sponsored by AD Ports Group.