By becoming one of the 11 national industrial parks, Aalborg will be part of the new 'red-carpet scheme,' ensuring faster and more streamlined permitting for manufacturing companies.

Businesses will have a single point of contact throughout the approval process, shorter processing times, a coordinated project plan with milestones, and access to guidance on EU regulation.

"The scheme aims to make it easier and more predictable to establish or scale up green production in Denmark - for both Danish and international companies. All companies within the industrial park boundaries will benefit from the scheme, regardless of size or investment level. This gives Aalborg a unique advantage in ensuring efficient case handling, including permit processes, for businesses within the industrial park area," the Port of Aalborg further explained in a press brief.

Aalborg Municipality, in close collaboration with the Port of Aalborg and Aalborg Utilities, has allocated 243 hectares of land for the industrial park (with the potential for expansion to 497 hectares), spanning both sides of the Limfjord at East Port and Norbis Park.

The Aalborg Industrial Park has received letters of support from over 25 stakeholders, including Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, EWII, Fidelis, Aalborg Portland, and Siemens Gamesa. Their planned investments alone amount to more than DKK10 billion (around €1.34b) and are expected to create 1,500 new jobs in energy technology and green manufacturing.

Lasse Frimand Jensen, Aalborg Mayor, commented, "I am both pleased and proud that Aalborg is now one of Denmark's 11 national industrial parks. We build on a strong industrial heritage and use it as a springboard to create the framework for the green production of the future. With this new model, we gain speed and transparency in the permitting processes - which is crucial if we are to attract and retain companies in tough global competition."

He furthered, "At the same time, we know it can be challenging for manufacturing companies to find suitable land with the right infrastructure. As a national industrial park, we stand stronger in the competition for green production and new jobs - and this designation makes Aalborg even more attractive for companies looking to invest in future green solutions."

The Port of Aalborg is expanding East Port's capacity with a 500-meter-long quay, plus 60,000 square meters of yard (for Fidelis New Energy's Norne Carbon Storage Hub, a reception facility with a pipeline network and storage to receive up to 5.0 million tonnes of CO2 per year, potentially 15mt in the future).

Kristian Thulesen Dahl, CEO of the Port of Aalborg, shared, "We are already a strong wind port with major international companies such as Siemens Gamesa, CS WIND Offshore, and several suppliers to the wind industry. Moreover, Aalborg is well on its way to becoming a leading player in carbon capture, storage and utilisation through several projects taking shape in and around the Aalborg Industrial Park."

His company added in a press release, "Aalborg has rapidly developed into a central hub for CCUS technologies, with a wide range of companies, networks and research institutions collaborating on solutions for carbon capture, utilisation and storage. These include plans for a large-scale carbon capture facility at Aalborg Portland via the ACCSION project, a carbon capture plant at Nordværk, CO2 import and interim storage at Norne's planned reception facility, and the production of green aviation fuel through Fjord PtX with Aalborg Utilities."

The Fjord PtX project, said to become one of Europe's largest plants, will produce synthetic sustainable aviation fuel using renewable electricity, CO2, and technical water. Jesper Høstgaard-Jensen, Acting CEO of Aalborg Utilities, added, "By making it smooth and straightforward for companies to test new green solutions in real-world settings, we will not only create growth and development locally but also play a crucial role in the green transition nationally and internationally. A strong example is the Fjord PtX project, which Aalborg Utilities is part of, as it will give district-heating customers access to green surplus heat at attractive prices."

Photo: Port of Aalborg