In the past five years, the Dutch ports have emerged as the marshalling hub of the North Sea offshore wind industry, serving over a third of the market's needs. Meanwhile, the UK, being the location of the largest offshore wind capacity in the world after China: has needed all the help it could get. The 2000+ components installed off the country's shores have practically been marshalled from all across the continent. As the North Seas Energy Cooperation (#NSEC) foreshadows towards a more ambitious era of offshore wind installation in the region than previously thought, critical infrastructure like ports will need to be seriously scaled up. More than investments, experience from these ports like Port Esbjerg, North Sea Port, Port of Rotterdam, Port of Cromarty Firth and more will be of precious value. #offshorewind
𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲'𝘀 𝗧𝗼𝗽 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 To accommodate large heavy-lift vessels, marshalling ports require a long quayside (with a median length of 315m), significant maximum draft at both quayside (more than 10 meters) and port entry, a large laydown area for the components, and often an onshore crane. The infrastructure requirements are satisfied by many locations in the North Sea region, which handle almost all the activity. In the last five years, the Netherlands and the UK have emerged as the powerhouses in this regard: together marshalling 70% of Europe's offshore wind components. The Netherlands has handled components for all North Sea countries, while the UK's marshalling ports have catered almost exclusively to projects at home. The collective effort from Denmark, Germany, France, Belgium, Norway, Spain, and Italy also underscores Europe's commitment to renewable energy. Still, the data speaks volumes about the region's offshore wind push being very much centralised in two countries for marshalling and installation. Follow us for insights into offshore wind marshalling ports, and supply chain, or get in touch to discover more. #offshorewind #energytransition #energy #maritime #offshore #marshalling #ports #eemshaven Port of Blyth Port of Rotterdam Port of Nigg Port Esbjerg North Sea Port Able UK Port of Cromarty Firth Groningen Seaports
