New construction project paves the way for significant port expansion in Aalborg

Port of Aalborg continues to grow. In 2019, the port’s business park experienced a 140,000 square meter expansion. This month, the port announced a 150,000 square meter expansion of its transport center that will take place over the next three years.

Port of Aalborg is now building a recovery depot to support its infrastructure and rapid development. The depot will have the capacity to hold DKK 1.2 million tons of surplus soil from construction sites in and around Aalborg.

The depot is created by framing an area in the fjord and filling it with surplus soil. The surplus soil will give Port of Aalborg extra land to develop on.

– For a long time, Aalborg has lacked capacity to absorb surplus soil from urban development projects in the city. Several contractors and construction companies are forced to deposit in places far from the city, which isn’t optimal on an economic or sustainable level, says Kjartan Ross, sales manager at Port of Aalborg, continuing:

– For many years now, we’ve noticed increased interest from companies wishing to operate in our business park, which offers logistical advantages, space for development, and collaboration opportunities with other companies. Therefore, we must ensure proper facility, service, and infrastructure frameworks, which help support continual development in the area. This development helps us meet high demands while contributing to Aalborg Municipality’s job market and overall growth.

Quay expansion on the way

The recovery depot’s design will allow a one-kilometer-long quay extension and a 120-meter-wide quay street. The depot’s construction also provides an opportunity to extend the quay area in stages. The Port of Aalborg already has first-stage expansion plans in place.

– The 300-meter quay extension east of the current multi-terminal is approved. It will support the forthcoming transport center expansion and significantly boost the multimodal transport framework to and from North Jutland, says Kjartan Ross.

Green bottom line at the forefront of the construction project

Currently, the planning is in full swing, and here the project’s green bottom line is of big importance. Port of Aalborg has decided to closely monitor the CO2 output for all future construction and facility operations to minimize environmental impacts. CO2 monitoring will also apply to the new recovery depot.

– Since the port already utilizes waste, the project is a decent green case. But we also work closely with our consultant NIRAS to design the construction project in a way that works holistically with the project’s environmental impact, says Head of Technology & Environment in the Port of Aalborg, Mette Schmidt, and continues:

– We look at the direct environmental impacts we as developers are responsible for. However, we also look at indirect effects from our subcontractors and employees. We believe this focus contributes to the process becoming as sustainable as possible while setting a precedent for new construction projects.

Construction of the new recovery depot is expected to begin by 2028. However, Port of Aalborg expects the first 200 to 300 meters of the quay’s extension ready for use within the coming years, supporting the new quayside bulk warehouses.

For further information please contact:

• Mette Schmidt, Teknisk Chef, Port of Aalborg A/S, tlf. 29 20 72 53 og ms@portofaalborg.com
• Presseservice: Maja Thordahl Schou, Head of Branding & PR, Port of Aalborg A/S, tlf. 22 61 83 08 og mts@portofaalborg.com