European climate and energy ministers, the EU’s Energy Commissioner, and international top executives from some of the most influential companies in the wind sector will meet at Odense Port for the North Sea Summit 2024. They will discuss how to achieve the ambitious goal of installing 20,000 offshore wind turbines in the North Sea while creating as many European jobs as possible.
On Thursday, October 24th, many key stakeholders in climate transition and wind energy will gather at Odense Port to find solutions on how the ambitious green transition goals in Europe can also unlock the potential of European industrial production.
This event will bring together climate and energy ministers from the countries around the North Sea, the EU’s Energy Commissioner, and a broad range of international leaders from the wind industry. Last year, the North Sea cooperation countries signed a declaration with a goal of at least 120 GW of offshore wind by 2030 and at least 300 GW of offshore wind in the North Sea by 2050, equivalent to around 20,000 offshore wind turbines.
From Shipyard to Wind Power
If ambitions are met, it will be a significant contribution to Europe’s green transition and energy security. At Odense Port, participants will focus on how the transformation of European industry can be organized to best support the production of offshore wind, benefiting job creation, energy security, and the green transition in Europe. A transformation that is already underway at Odense Port.
Odense Port is located in Munkebo, north of Odense, on the same site where the former Odense Steel Shipyard, better known as the Lindø Shipyard, was situated. For decades, Lindø Shipyard was one of Denmark’s industrial pride points, employing thousands of skilled workers.
When, in the wake of the 2009 financial crisis, it was announced that the Lindø Shipyard was to close, 2,700 people were employed in traditional shipbuilding in Munkebo. Like many other Europeans, they witnessed their jobs move to other parts of the world.
However, following the closure of the Lindø Shipyard, new business activities emerged, where unemployed shipyard workers were offered retraining with support from the EU. At the same time, Danish and European politicians set a new course with a vision to create a hub for technological development in offshore wind at the former Lindø Shipyard. Odense Port, owned by the Municipality of Odense, later purchased the former shipyard, setting the course for its development into what is now Denmark’s largest production port for offshore wind and the daily workplace for more than 3,200 people.
“Odense Port’s development from a decommissioned shipyard to a leading production port within offshore wind is the result of bold and visionary decisions. It is a textbook example of how the green transition is an opportunity to transform Europe’s industry and, in doing so, create thousands of new jobs. Therefore, my ambition is also to create 30,000 new private sector jobs in Odense over the next decade. Here, the continued development of Odense Port as a center for the production of ever-larger offshore wind turbines will play a key role,” says Peter Rahbæk Juel, Mayor of Odense and Vice Chairman of the Board of Odense Port.
Denmark can become a crucial player in achieving the goal of installing 20,000 offshore wind turbines in the North Sea, with many of the components for these turbines potentially being manufactured at Odense Port.
“We are, of course, very pleased to have been entrusted with the task of facilitating the upcoming North Sea Summit. Here at Odense Port, we demonstrate how a former shipyard can be transformed into a modern production port and a hub for wind energy production that supports the green transition and energy security in Europe. It may seem odd that a port not directly facing the North Sea is hosting the North Sea Summit, but Odense Port is an excellent example of how offshore wind turbine production can drive change in many different areas across Europe if approached correctly. We hope that our guests will find inspiration in the surroundings and the vision behind it as a model to follow,” says Carsten Aa, CEO of Odense Port A/S.
Development for the Benefit of the Local Area
Several of the world’s leading production companies within offshore wind have settled at Odense Port, and Odense Port aims to ensure that the production port will continue to be a daily workplace for thousands of employees and play a central role in the green transition in Denmark and Europe.
Therefore, earlier this year, Odense Port launched a development plan with an expansion of the port’s area and fairway to ensure that vital components for offshore wind can continue to be produced and shipped from Munkebo in the future. If the potential of the development plan is realized, Odense Port could increase its current production of offshore wind turbine components fivefold and raise its capacity from the current 1 GW to 5 GW annually. If these visions are brought to life, Odense Port could potentially contribute around 10,000 jobs in total. It is expected that 6,000 employees will pass through the gates of the old Lindø Shipyard every day, with an additional 4,000 indirect jobs created.
“The development at Odense Port is remarkable, and it is impressive that the grounds of the historic Lindø Shipyard are now one of the hubs for offshore wind production in Denmark. Kerteminde Municipality and the local area around Munkebo have greatly benefited first from the Lindø Shipyard and now from Odense Port, and we must maintain and build upon that development. This must be done in a balanced way, where we find common solutions to ensure that the surrounding community remains a good place to live,” says Kasper Ejsing Olesen, Mayor of Kerteminde Municipality.
Green Transition Goes Hand in Hand with Business Policy
Odense Port is home to unique test and technology centers for the development of offshore wind turbines, including the world’s leading test center for wind turbine nacelles, the Lindø Offshore Renewables Centre (LORC). Additionally, the University of Southern Denmark is currently establishing the world’s first robotics center for large constructions, Large Structure Productions (LSP), at Odense Port, which enhances innovation, technology, and quality in Danish industry.
“It is crucial that Odense Port is not just a wind port but also a knowledge port. We want to create an environment where we combine heavy industry with deep knowledge to establish a powerhouse for wind, knowledge, and growth. With the prospect of installing at least 300 GW of offshore wind in the North Sea by 2050, we not only have the opportunity to take the next big step in Europe’s green transition but also to create the jobs of the future. If we are to seize this opportunity, it requires us to be ready to make the necessary decisions so that the energy transition also becomes business and industrial policy, laying an even stronger foundation for what we will live on in the future,” says Carsten Aa, CEO of Odense Port A/S.
The perspectives are even greater in a European context, as thousands of offshore wind turbines need to be produced to achieve the ambition of 300 GW of offshore wind in the North Sea by 2050. This could result in the creation of hundreds of thousands of industrial jobs in Europe within the wind industry in the coming years.
The Minister for Climate, Energy, and Utilities, Lars Aagaard, will host the upcoming North Sea Summit at Odense Port, as Denmark holds the presidency and leads the work of the North Sea cooperation this year.
FACTS ABOUT ODENSE PORT:
-With 8.5 million square meters, Odense Port is Denmark’s largest port by area.
-Odense Port is Denmark’s second-largest commercial port by turnover.
-Odense Port is Denmark’s largest production port for offshore wind.
-Odense Port hosts more than 100 different companies, employing 3,200 people.
OFFSHORE WIND IS A KEY INDUSTRY AT ODENSE PORT:
-Odense Port leased 18.5% more sqm to wind companies in 2023 compared to 2022.
-Odense Port is home to world-leading test and technology centers for the development of offshore wind turbines.
-Odense Port has provided space to produce more than 700 nacelles since 2012.
-Odense Port has provided space to produce more than 150 foundations since 2012.
-Odense Port’s iconic gantry crane can load 15 nacelles, each weighing over 400 tons, within 10 hours.
Contact:
Odense Municipality: Alexander Mose-Johansen, Press Advisor
+45 24 37 33 97 // almos@odense.dk
Kerteminde Municipality: Kasper Ejsing Olesen, Mayor
+45 24 65 92 49 // pol-keo@kerteminde.dk
Odense Port: Peter Zacher, Press Advisor
+45 31 10 96 81 // peter.zacher@gknordic.com
