Esbjergs energy drive

The port is a member of the EU Cruise Gateway North Sea Region project, and recently hosted a workshop considering ‘white spot’ development in the cruise sector.

Soeren Clemmensen, sales and marketing manager at the Port of Esbjerg, explained to the delegates how Esbjerg had become the most important Danish port in the offshore industry, and had successfully adjusted to those activities over the years, having been a mainly agricultural and fishing port in the past.

The latest addition to its portfolio is wind power. Esbjerg has become one of the leading ports in Europe for handling wind farm components and this success has led to a major expansion of the port.

However, it could also be an unusual catalyst for tourism. The workshop discussed the possibility of using the wind and energy industry as a tourist attraction, for example, with boat trips to see the Horns Rev I and II offshore wind farms, which are very popular and often fully booked.

Would it be possible to handle the demands of cruise ships alongside a busy energy business? “We believe it is possible to focus on both – and the Port of Stavanger in Norway is a fine example of this,” said Tom N Nielsen, director of Esbjerg Business Development Centre.