The two have signed an agreement according to which the former will erect a wind turbine tower factory in the port.

The investment is scheduled for completion in late 2023. Valmont SM will use it to manufacture wind turbine towers for the company's client base, including Siemens and Vestas.

"The Port of Esbjerg is a leading hub for offshore wind in Denmark and Europe, and we expect the market to grow strongly in the years ahead. Via Esbjerg, we'll get access to the markets in the UK, Germany and the Netherlands. In addition, the port has an efficient infrastructure that has attracted many other businesses as well, including service providers," Niels Brix, CEO, Valmont SM, underlines.

Dennis Jul Pedersen, Port of Esbjerg's CEO, adds, "We're currently seeing an increase in the level of activity, and the agreement matches perfectly with our plans to contribute to the massive development of offshore wind power over the next few decades."

The EU has decided that 300 GW of offshore wind capacity will be established in the North Sea by 2050.

The agreement forms part of Esbjerg's larger green master plan. In 2020, the Nordic infrastructure fund Infranode announced a DKK1.0b-big (approx. €130m) investment scheme, following which facilities for manufacturing and warehousing offshore wind components will be set up in the Danish seaport. "These investments will be implemented as producers of wind turbine components and service providers step up their activities," reads the port's press release.

Photo: Port of Esbjerg