| Popis: |
A study to investigate opportunities for the Port of Den Helder in the energy transition is performed by ECN part of TNO, with the support of a consortium of nine partners, all stake holders in the Port of Den Helder. Although it is foreseen that activities related to the oil and gas (O&G) industry will decrease in the coming years, a simultaneous rapid increase in the offshore wind sector will see growth in operations and maintenance (O&M) and a number of other activities, which will have a substantial impact on the Port of Den Helder. The main conclusion of this study is that the transition to a carbon-free renewable energy system provides the Port of Den Helder with great business opportunities. The reasons for these opportunities are: 1. Central location of the Port of Den Helder, providing efficient access to all areas of the North Sea, giving possible economic advantages for offshore wind developers and O&M contractors, compared to other ports. 2. Good infrastructure in the port and presence of Den Helder Airport nearby, from which helicopters could support primary offshore wind O&M vessels, leading to increased availability of offshore wind farms (OWFs). 3. State of the art logistics and supply companies, presently mainly active in Oil & Gas, that are equipped to serve the offshore wind energy industry as well. 4. Very good gas infrastructure, proximity to three major pipelines importing a majority of the gas produced in the Dutch economic zone in the North Sea, leading to opportunities in hydrogen production from offshore wind energy. 5. Possible storage areas in the vicinity of the Port of Den Helder for products from biomass related activities such as seaweed and algae cultivation. The impact of several innovations that are soon expected in modern ports in the move to a Port 4.0 (comparable to industry 4.0) such as autonomous shipping and improved onshore logistics, is investigated. These innovations also will influence future development activities at the Port of Den Helder. |
