Over a length of 1,250 m, three new berths and terminal areas are being built in Cuxhaven, primarily for the handling of wind turbines.
Construction work began today with the first pile-driving. Completion is scheduled for 2028.
“This is a very special construction site for us. We are very pleased that it is starting today,” said project manager Albert Schmidt. The new facilities are set to play a “key role” in the supply of renewable energy for decades to come. The new berths 5-7, which in future will form a continuous quay between berths 1-4 and offshore berths 8 and 9, are intended to meet the increasing demand for handling and loading areas for the expansion of wind power. The associated terminal will cover an area of 38 hectares.
300 million € investment in Cuxhaven
The port company NPorts is planning to expand the berths with an investment of around €300 million. In order to support the realization, the project will be funded with up to € 200 million from the “Joint Task for the Improvement of Regional Economic Structures” (GRW) of the federal government and the state of Lower Saxony. The remaining up to € 100 million will be pre-financed by the port industry in the form of concessions.
“Through the persistent further development of the port, the state and NPorts as well as the stakeholders in the city have earned Cuxhaven a reputation as a pioneering business location. With the unique path we are taking here, we are jointly financing port construction with the federal government, the state and the business community and positioning ourselves as part of the solution for the energy transition,” explains Holger Banik, Managing Director of Niedersachsen Ports GmbH & Co KG and JadeWeserPort Realisierungs GmbH & Co KG.
Two concessionaires will take over the operation of the berths. The company Cuxport GmbH will receive a terminal concession for berths and terminal areas 5 and 6.1, which will cover around 19 hectares once the berths have been built. Completion is planned for 2027. The company Blue Water Breb GmbH will receive a further contract for the adjoining terminal areas 6.2 and 7 with the same area size.
“We will be ready exactly when the requirements from the previous expansion targets are at their greatest. With this range of high-performance port infrastructure, local logistics companies can develop their onshore and offshore business with confidence,” continued port boss Banik.
Lies: “Project of national importance”
“We have been working towards planning and financing the berths for a long time – a feat that we have mastered together with the many committed stakeholders in the region, the federal government and the business community,” said Olaf Lies, Lower Saxony’s Minister of Economic Affairs, Transport, Building and Digitalization, who was on site for the first pile-driving ceremony. “Now comes the next decisive step: the first pile drive marks the official start of construction on a project of national importance. We are building much more than just a jetty here. This project stands for a resilient, clean and permanently affordable energy supply not only for Lower Saxony, but for the whole of Germany. And it provides incentives for companies to settle in Lower Saxony. By expanding the port, we are creating urgently needed capacity for the energy industry. Cuxhaven will continue to become a central logistics hub for the expansion of onshore and offshore wind energy in Germany and Europe. This creates added value locally, secures good jobs in the long term and strengthens the economic future of our coast. Cuxhaven and NPorts are continuing to write an exemplary story of how good ideas become concrete projects for the future.”
Stefan Wenzel MdB, Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection, called Cuxhaven one of the most important seaports on the North Sea for the delivery of large components and the construction of plants.
“The port expansion starting today will ensure that the port location of Cuxhaven can continue to meet the increasing requirements and growing components in the future,” said Wenzel. “The construction of the new berths is of enormous importance for achieving our national offshore expansion targets and an important building block for the successful transformation of our energy system. I am certain that the three additional berths will strengthen the competitiveness of the German Offshore Industry Center and contribute to more growth, employment and prosperity in the entire region. As the German government, we are supporting this port expansion with funding from the joint task “Improvement of the regional economic structure” (GRW) due to its particular significance for energy and regional policy. In doing so, we are once again demonstrating that this most important regional policy instrument in Germany strengthens the local economy.”
