Actual - Developments

During the last years, Groningen Seaports experienced a tremendous growth and belongs even to the most fast growing ports in the range Hamburg-Le Havre. To hold on to this growth and moreover, to increase the growth, it is necessary to invest up-front. Groningen Seaports started with a number of considerable projects, of which some will take a few years into account.

Eemshaven

Extension bulk quay

Recently the bulk quay has been extended by 350 metres and now it measures 750 metres. Behind this quay the new biodiesel factory of Biovalue has commenced its production. Next to Biovalue the recycling plant of Theo Pouw has taken position behind the extended bulk quay as well. Theo Pouw bought 7 hectares and will start asphalting its site shortly. It is expected that the bulk quay will be extended with another 350 metres in the near future (phase 4).

The extended bulk quay with Holland Malt, Biovalue, and Theo Pouw. In the background the new Beatrixharbour.

Construction Beatrixharbour (phase 1)

In the 'Westlob' in the Eemshaven a new harbour is constructed. This new harbour calls Beatrixhaven and is constructed to accommodate logistic companies in the shortsea sector. On both sides of the new harbour there are also building activities going on. At the northern part AG Ems is building a new passenger terminal and at the southern part Wijnne & Barends’ started building a 15,000 m2 covered transit shed. The new port basin measures 375 metres and will be in full use April 2008. At the moment dredging activities are carried out to create a depth of 10 metres. The Beatrixharbour will be extended with about 800 metres (phase 2-4) and it is expected that building activities will start shortly.

The Beatrixharbour with in front Wijnn & Barends' and in the background AG Ems (photo Koos Boertjens, taken from the Holland Malt factory)

Energy Park Eemshaven
THE energy port (7500 MWe!) of northwest Europe

Energy Park Eemshaven is an industrial site for environment, energy, recycling and waste related industries, with the focus on energy. Not only production of energy, but also consumption, which means a sustainable solution. It is a park where supply and demand meet each other. The power plant of Electrabel (2,400 MWe) already determines the skyline of Eemshaven for years and plans to extend its capacity. NorNed is a joint project of Statnett and TenneT to install a submarine high-voltage cable between Norway and the Netherlands. Via this cable, the longest high-voltage cable in the world, we will be able to transmit power from Norway to the Netherlands and vice versa. The construction of the 740 MWe booster station is almost ready. TCN SIG Real Estate has started constructing a huge datacenter. The building activities have almost been finished. Next to that both Essent and Nuon choose Eemshaven as place of business. Essent wants to establish a LNG Terminal (Liquefied Natural Gas) with a capacity of 5-12 BCM (billion m3) and Nuon is willing to construct a multifuel power plant of 1,200 MWe. Nuon has already decided to invest in Eemshaven and it is expected that Essent will decide tot invest in the middle of the year 2008. RWE, a German energy supplier, is also interested to start an establishment in Eemshaven and has far advanced plans to construct there a pulverized coal power plant, with a capacity of 1,600 MWe. In order to reduce the carbon emissions research is started on the carbon capture and underground storage. Finally 68 giant wind turbines are planned in the Eemshaven as well, each with a capacity of 3 MWe. To facilitate all these industries Groningen Seaports has been started raising the industrial sites and is also preparing deepening the fairway to Eemshaven as well as Eemshaven itself, extending the Wilhelminahaven by 600 metres in length, and digging a new harbour to accommodate the LNG vessels.

LNG Terminal Essent	Multifuel power plant Nuon	Power plant RWE and Energy Park Eemshaven

Windenergy

In the Eemshaven 68 giant wind turbines are planned. Each with a capacity of 3 MWe. At the moment preparation activities are in full speed. The current wind mills (approximately 30 metres high) are replaced by the huge new ones. The new generation wind turbines are becoming about 100 metres high. The foundations for the first 21 wind turbines have been constructed and from week 47 the wind turbines are placed. Recently Essent has started dismantling the smaller wind mills on the dikes and after that the mills in the Emmapolder will be replaced as well.

Delfzijl

Construction waste to energy plant BKB Delfzijl

Recently building activities have started for the waste to energy plant of BKB Delfzijl. The construction of this plant guarantees long standing durable energy delivery in the industrial area of Oosterhorn and will give the region a new economic impulse. Nearly 50 direct manpower is necessary to operate the installation and next to that about 100 indirect jobs will arise. The capacity of the waste to energy plant with a thermic output of 120 MWe amounts about 275,000 tonnes of waste per year. With that about 30 MWe electricity and process steam can be delivered to industrial customers on location.

Artist impression waste to energy plant BKB Delfzijl

Construction desalination water treatment plant North Water

North Water is investing in the construction of a modern desalination water treatment plant at the Oosterhorn industrial estate in Delfzijl. This is an important step toward the realisation of the long-term goal of companies, social organisations, and local government authorities alike, who are aiming at preserving the industrial area by considerably decreasing the volume of industrial waste that is being dumped into the surface waters. The installation will be built in the area between Chemical Park Delfzijl and the aluminium smelter Aluminium Delfzijl (Aldel). This innovative project is expected to add to the attraction of the Oosterhorn industrial estate. In the past, several companies had excluded Oosterhorn as a potential branch location because of the absence of an industrial-scale facility for final waste water treatment. New industries can now completely concentrate on their “core business” and worry less about their waste water treatment. North Water b.v. is a joint venture between the Waterbedrijf Groningen [Groningen Department for Water Management], Evides Industriewater, and the Waterleidingmaatschappij Drenthe [Drenthe Waterworks].

Development Oosterhorn area

The Oosterhorn area in Delfzijl is one of the biggest sites for heavy industries in the Netherlands. This business site has many opportunities, but also a number of bottlenecks. At the moment Nota Ontwikkelingskansen Oosterhorn is developed to analyse which adaptations must be done to be ready for the future.

Upgrading Farmsumerpoort

Groningen Seaports, the municipality of Delfzijl as well as the trade and industry are upgrading businesspark Farmsumerpoort including the Farmsumerharbour in Farmsum. Farmsumerpoort is the area between the Hogelandsterweg and the Emscanal. Advisory company Oranjewoud accompanies the project.

Businesspark Farmsumerpoort