The current geopolitical situation, as well as an impending need to curb carbon emissions, requires European countries to rethink their energy policies. The offshore wind industry can provide one of the solutions to the equation, but to do so mature port capacity in Europe must be increased.
Consider the current plans for offshore wind in Europe, where the size of many offshore wind farms will exceed 1 GW, while components for the wind turbines continue to increase in size. Such projects will require storage areas of up to 50 hectares, and given the efficiency of the installation, the project campaign will be shorter than previously seen in offshore wind projects.
This provides a dilemma for ports, where income stems from ship dues, cargo tariffs and the lease of land. In port terminology, a good activity involves large ships with frequent port calls and a vast amount of goods moving through a small area. This simplistic view counteracts the requirements of offshore wind ports and therefore, the business models need to be revisited.
