1. Port of Aarhus
Located on the Aarhus Bay on the eastern shore of Jutland,
Aarhus port is the biggest and busiest container port in Denmark, handling more
than 60 per cent of its container traffic. Strategically positioned on the
Baltic Sea, it is close to the main manufacturing and industrial area of
western Denmark. It is the only port in the country capable of accommodating
the largest container ships in the world.
It is directly linked to the European motorway E45 and the
international airport. Approximately 11,290,000 tonnes of cargo, 400,000 TEUs
and over 8000 ships and RORO ferries are handled at the port every year.
A major bulk port, it exports agro-based products, dairy,
vegetable oils, packed meat, condensed milk, furniture and machinery and
imports grains, coal, fodder, fertilisers, soya beans, timber and copra oil.
Aarhus has trade relations with principal European ports and also the Far East
and the eastern Mediterranean region.
The port of Aarhus has 6 specialised terminals consisting of
a total quay length of 8.8 km, handling containers, bulk, liquid cargo and
passengers. The port incorporates a huge industrial complex housing 150 private
companies. According to a survey conducted by Syddansk University, port-related
activities have generated more than 10,000 jobs in the last two years.
The ferry terminal covers over 15 hectares and serves around
1,300,000 passenger cars and more than 2.5 million people annually. The Bulk
and multi-terminal handles grains, foodstuff, coal and project cargo. Five
Panamax size vessels can be unloaded at this terminal simultaneously using
gantry cranes equipped with a double-arm tilting system. Sand and gravel are
discharged at the Omni Terminal while vegetable and mineral oils are handled at
the oil terminal fitted with an advanced piping system.
2. Port of Copenhagen
Copenhagen port lies on the eastern coast of Sjaelland and
was merged with Malmo port to create the Copenhagen Malmo Port. It deals with
consumer goods, building materials, vehicles, aviation fuel, and miscellaneous
cargoes. The port is divided into an Inner Harbour, North Harbour and the
Provestenen harbour. More than 8000 ships, 15,000,000 tonnes of cargo and over
194,000 TEUs are handled at the port every year.
An important financial and commercial centre serving the
Scandinavian-Baltic region, the Copenhagen port houses several international
corporations in its Freeport located in the North Harbour.
The city has a strong services sector driven by the IT
industry, employing more than 100,000 professionals. Characterised by high
wages and an equally high taxation system, it is one of the most expensive
cities in Europe.
The port covers 200 hectares of land area with a 16.5 km
berthing line and 35 km railway tracks. It has 10 wharves for accommodating
Panamax size ships and two container terminals spanning 250,000 m2 with a water
depth of 9.5 m. Feeder ships carrying consumer goods from Hamburg, Rotterdam
and Bremerhaven arrive at the terminal regularly.
The bulk terminal is the largest facility in eastern Denmark
equipped with a 650 m long quay and an 18-hectare storage area. The oil
terminal has 8 quays and numerous storage tanks for meeting the regional and
international fuel requirements. It also stores transit oil and supplies jet
fuel to Copenhagen airport.
The RORO terminal is equipped with modern handling equipment
for transporting automobiles to Sweden, Russia, Europe and other Baltic
countries. Ferries plying to and from Poland, Norway and Germany also dock at
this terminal, handling over 700,000 passengers annually.
3. Port of Grenaa
Grenaa port is located on the eastern coast of Jutland, just
60 kilometres from the port of Aarhus. It is operational throughout the year
and has a natural harbour divided into six basins. Grains, seeds, paper and
stone are principal exports while major imports comprise coal, phosphates,
saltpetre, chemicals, wood pellets, oil, wood chips, logs and paper pulp. More
than 1000 vessels, 1,450,000 tonnes of cargo and 60,500 TEUs are handled at
Grenaa port every year.
Positioned centrally, Grenaa is closest to the shipping
routes passing through the Kattegat strait. It is an important commercial and
industrial port serving diverse business segments. Grenaa has grown from a
small fishing port to an international trade hub, having the know-how and
equipment for serving the offshore wind industry. It has an ideal layout for
storing wind turbines and a designated assembly area, directly accessible to
the quayside offering ease of transportation.
It also handles bulk, project cargo, and houses waste
recycling plants. Bunkering, container stacking and ship repair services are
also offered at its dockyard.
The port covers 1,430,000 m2 of land area with a total quay
length of 2500 m and alongside depths of 11 m. It has 25 warehouses covering
52,500 m2 and a 32,000 m2 open storage area.
It has a service area, a RORO terminal consisting of two
wharves and a ferry terminal possessing 3 passenger berths. The port can store
about 100,000 m3 of petroleum and its derivatives in its tank farm.
In 2020, the Denmark Maritime Authority announced the Grenaa
port expansion project. The port surpassed its capacity in 2018 and 2019,
making expansion an urgency for handling increasing cargo traffic. Thus, an
additional 17,000 sq m of land would be reclaimed for constructing a 350 m long
quay and a 27,000 m2 operational area for handling offshore installations.
4. Port of Esbjerg
Esbjerg port lies on the western coast of the Jutland
peninsula in the southwestern Syddanmark region of Denmark, sheltered by the
island of Fano. Operational since the Viking era, it is an important centre for
the oil and offshore drilling industry. It emerged as a major cargo port in
2019 by handling 204,000 tons of general cargo, 28,000 TEUs and 325,000 tonnes
of coal.
A well-equipped port, it can handle diverse cargo types
including RORO, fossil and liquid fuels, seafood, canned foodstuff and
aggregates. Approximately, 17,800 vessels, 4,700,000 tonnes of cargo, 238,000
TEUs and 1,850,000 passengers are handled at the port annually. Additionally,
Esbjerg is a financial and trading hub housing over 200 companies.
Esbjerg port covers 3.5 million square metres of land area
out of which 1.5 million square metres are leased to private operators. It has
a 10-kilometre quay length with depths ranging from 5 to 15 m.
It has many specialised wharves dedicated to specific
cargoes. For instance, the Tauruskaj pier is 380 m long and handles offshore
bulk cargo while the Australienkaj wharf handles fertilisers. Parcels are
handled at the 420 m long Europakaj dock.
Containers are dealt with at the Vestkraftkaj wharf. The
Frankrigskaj dock has storage facilities for handling refrigerated and frozen
cargoes. Englandskaj berth accommodates passenger ships and the Faegre Haven
wharf handles ferries and barges.
Covering 235 metres, the Tvaerkaj berth handles RORO and a
few containers while the Oliebro dock deals with liquid bulk cargo on its 2
tanker jetties equipped with a powerful pumping system and 6 storage tanks.