The Odense Recommendations is a historic opportunity to transform Europe’s industry and create thousands of manufacturing jobs within the green transition as the ambitions for at least 300 GW of offshore wind in the North Sea are to be fulfilled. This is an opportunity we must seize, but it requires investment, according to Odense Port A/S following the North Seas Ministerial Meeting 2024.
As the North Sea is set to be realised as a powerhouse for wind energy in the coming years, it is crucial that European competitiveness is strengthened and that renewable energy and infrastructure projects are expedited, while the risks associated with offshore wind projects are reduced. These are some of the Odense Recommendations from the North Sea Climate and Energy Ministers, which have just been presented to the upcoming EU Commission at the North Seas Ministerial Meeting.
The North Seas Ministerial Meeting was held at Odense Port, which has successfully transformed itself from the former Lindø shipyard to now being Denmark’s largest manufacturing port for offshore wind.
“It is very positive that the climate and energy ministers from the North Sea countries have agreed on a number of strong recommendations for the upcoming EU Commission here at the North Seas Ministerial Meeting at Odense Port. The green transition represents a unique opportunity to create thousands of green jobs—particularly in the production of offshore wind turbines, where Odense Port is already a European hub. This is an opportunity we must not miss, but it requires us to provide our large production and installation ports with the right conditions. That is why we are proud to have successfully brought together the North Sea ministers, the EU Energy Commissioner, and leading market players in offshore wind here at Odense Port, and we hope they have been inspired by the surroundings,” says Peter Rahbæk Juel, Mayor of Odense and Vice Chairman of the Board of Odense Port A/S.
The Odense Recommendations outline a path to realising the potential of the North Sea and developing the European industry, enabling it to support the production of offshore wind for the benefit of the green transition in Europe in the best possible way, while simultaneously creating as many jobs as possible in Europe.
“The Odense Recommendations are a step towards making the ambition of at least 300 GW of offshore wind in the North Sea by 2050 a reality. This is a historic opportunity to transform Europe’s industry. We must seize this opportunity, but it requires investment in infrastructure and capacity, particularly at ports, which are becoming a critical bottleneck for the production of wind turbines. We have a long way to go to reach 300 GW—just in the North Sea—so it requires full support at all levels. Historically, ports have been critical infrastructure in Denmark and Europe, and continued development is essential for the green transition. We see positive signs in the Odense Recommendations, and now it’s about turning words into action,” says Carsten Aa, CEO of Odense Port A/S.
Climate Minister Lars Aagaard presented the recommendations at the North Sea Summit and also used his opening speech as an opportunity to comment on the developments at Odense Port.
“I hope that the transformation that happened here in Odense will happen many other places.
We have to keep our industrial base strong. The wind industry and it’s consumers, we need to rescale our workplace to make sure, that where transition will happen, new opportunities will grow,” he said during the North Sea Summit 2024.
FACTS ABOUT ODENSE PORT:
- Odense Port is Denmark’s largest port by area, covering 8.5 million square metres.
- Odense Port is Denmark’s second-largest commercial port by turnover.
- Odense Port is Denmark’s largest manufacturing port for offshore wind.
- Odense Port is home to more than 100 different companies employing 3,200 people.
OFFSHORE WIND IS A KEY INDUSTRY AT ODENSE PORT:
- Odense Port leased 18.5% more square metres to wind companies in 2023 compared to 2022.
- Odense Port is home to world-leading test and technology centres for the development of offshore wind turbines.
- Odense Port has provided space for the production of over 700 nacelles since 2012.
- Odense Port has provided space for the production of over 150 foundations since 2012.
- Odense Port’s iconic portal crane can load 15 nacelles, each weighing over 400 tons, in 10 hours.
Press Contact:
Odense Municipality:
Alexander Mose-Johansen, Press Advisor:
24 37 33 97 // almos@odense.dk
Odense Port: Peter Zacher, Press Advisor:
+45 31 10 96 81 // peter.zacher@gknordic.com
