Buss Terminal Eemshaven, a major logistics player in the offshore wind sector and part of Buss Port Logistics, is receiving a multi-million dollar investment to reinforce the Julianahaven quay and improve the bottom in front of the quay.
As a result, the company will soon be able to serve several projects simultaneously, strengthening Eemshaven's strategic position in the North Sea area. The joint funding comes from Groningen Seaports, Rabobank, the Groninger Groeifonds and NOM, with an additional CINEA EU grant.
Since 2011, Buss Terminal Eemshaven has served as the base harbor for nearly 20 large wind farms in the North Sea area. Among other things, the company is involved in the largest wind farms in Denmark and Germany and handles the storage, transshipment and pre-assembly of large components for the offshore wind farms.
'The trend we see in the market is that these parts are getting bigger and heavier,' said Marc Wegman, managing director of Buss Terminal Eemshaven. 'And with that, the ships that transport these parts and the equipment for storage and transshipment are also getting bigger and heavier. With the reinforcement of the quay and an improved bottom for the quay in Julianahaven, we can continue to serve our customers in the future and thus strengthen our competitive position.'
Reinforcement and deepening
The current capacity of the quay is 6 to 20 tons per square meter. 'The new part of the quay will have a capacity of 40 tons per square meter and this will make us one of the first ports with this capacity,' Wegman continued. 'With this, we have ample margins in the components that are going to come in the coming years and we are well prepared for the future. Of course, this first requires a large investment for which, in addition to the joint funding from NOM, Rabobank and Groningen Growth Fund, and the participation Groningen Seaports, we have also been awarded an EU subsidy. We are very pleased with the confidence of all the parties involved.
'With the soil improvement and the reinforcement of the quay at Julianahaven, Eemshaven will soon have three so-called heavy-duty areas,' says Erik Bertholet, business manager logistics & offshore wind at Groningen Seaports. 'With the new quay, Buss will soon be able to serve two ships simultaneously, thus making a major contribution to the positioning of Eemshaven in the offshore wind sector.'
Important link in energy transition
'Due to its strategic location, Buss is an important but often underexposed link in the energy transition,' said Johannes Offringa, senior account manager for large business at Rabobank. 'We have been working closely with Buss for many years and have been able to help them with various financial decisions. We are therefore pleased that we can once again contribute to this important step for the future, with NOM and the Groninger Groeifonds willing to take on the final part of the investment.'
'Although NOM is known for its involvement in start-up and scale-up companies, we also like to commit to established and innovative SMEs,' says Betty Postma, investment manager at NOM. 'Buss Terminal Eemshaven is an excellent example of this. The company has built up an impressive customer portfolio and is already involved in the realization of more than 10 offshore wind farms. With this investment, Buss Terminal Eemshaven as a base harbor can make its contribution in accelerating the energy transition. Thanks to the strong cooperation between all investors, this capital-intensive investment has been made possible'.
'Buss is an important link in the offshore wind sector,' said Gijs Vermeer, investment manager of the Groninger Groeifonds. 'With this investment, we as Groninger Groeifonds can make an important contribution to the regional economy and also ensure the strategic position of Eemshaven for offshore wind energy also in the future.'