Copenhagen to receive a new container terminal in 2023

By & Havn and Copenhagen Malmö Port (CMP) have reached an agreement on the basic principles for a new container terminal in Ydre Nordhavn. The location of the new container terminal means that goods to the Capital Region of Denmark can continue to be delivered close to the customers, sparing the environment from added emissions and minimising congestion on the Danish road network.

The existing container terminal at Levantkaj in Copenhagen’s Nordhavn remains in full swing, and within the coming years it will be moved to Ydre Nordhavn with new, modern facilities with the possibility of expansion. The expansion will take place in pace with the freight volumes increasing and new logistics enterprises, such as a distribution centre, commencing operations.

Today, Danish ports handle a bit over 75 percent of the imported goods to Denmark, and the Corona pandemic has made it clear how important it is to maintain global supply chains and ensure that goods can continue to be delivered across borders. Therefore, a well-functioning container terminal close to Copenhagen is vital infrastructure and at the same time, an essential and sustainable supply artery for the Capital Region and the rest of Eastern Denmark. The location will mean less congestion on the roads as well as a greener Denmark.

Anne Skovbro, CEO of By & Havn, is therefore looking forward to the new container terminal, which will be built by By & Havn.

“Copenhagen has always been a city of commerce and trade, and it is vitally important that we can contribute to maintaining the city’s historical and commercial importance. As a vital key point in the distribution chain and with a location close to the end-consumers, at the same time we can make it as sustainable as possible. In addition, with the relocation of the container terminal from Levantkaj to Ydre Nordhavn, we are really addressing the next stages of the sustainable development of Nordhavn, where in the future Levantkaj will be developed as a new residential area for existing and future generations of Copenhageners.”

With a location at the tip of Ydre Nordhavn, the new container terminal will be situated in a new urban district with a well-developed and modern infrastructure, along with dedicated areas for the logistics of the future. Work on the construction of the new Nordhavn tunnel under Svanemølle Bay is well underway, and when the tunnel is completed in 2027, transport to and from the container terminal will have direct access to the motorway network around Copenhagen via the tunnel.

CMP, which operates the existing container terminal, looks forward to welcoming the new container terminal. Barbara Scheel Agersnap, CEO of Copenhagen Malmö Port, comments:

”We are exceptionally pleased that we have come to an agreement on the principles for the current container terminal to be relocated to the newly fulfilled areas in Ydre Nordhavn. This ensures that Copenhagen retains the basis for its important container traffic, and a large workplace remains in the city. More traffic on the blue highways is a cornerstone of the transition to a greener transport sector, and therefore the new full-service container terminal in Copenhagen will benefit the climate – including consolidating the future supply of goods to Greater Copenhagen and the whole of eastern Denmark.”

BRIEF FACTS: New container terminal in Ydre Nordhavn

• The cost of constructing the new container terminal including cranes, road access and other facilities is expected to be approx. DKK 800 million.
• The container terminal will have two new container cranes, a quay length of up to 550 metres, and a water depth down to 12.5 metres. This is 2.5 metres deeper than the current container terminal has. Plus in addition, new and modern port facilities and commercial buildings.
• With the location of the new container terminal in Ydre Nordhavn, the entrance to the terminal will also be optimised for the benefit of all shipping companies that will use the terminal.
• Space will be made for the terminal to be continuously expanded as freight volumes increase and i.a. new logistics companies are established.
• The existing terminal at Levantkaj consists of approximately 140,000 m². When the new terminal in Ydre Nordhavn is fully developed, it will amount to approx. 165,000 m².
• The area where the terminal is located is part of a new land refill of a total of 100 hectares in Ydre Nordhavn. In addition to the container terminal, this area will also accommodate a large new nature park, consisting of 28 hectares.
• An environmental impact assessment has been prepared for the construction of the new container terminal, and environmental approvals have been granted for the project.
• The relocation of the existing container terminal opens up the further urban development of Levantkaj, with its plans to be developed into a new and sustainable residential area in Nordhavn.

For additional information, please contact:

Kristian Wederkinck Olesen, Communications Manager, By & Havn
E-mail: kwo@byoghavn.dk, Telephone: +45 30535004

Ulrika Prytz Rugfelt, PR & Corporate Communications Manager, Copenhagen Malmö Port AB
E-mail: ulrika.prytz@cmport.com, Telephone: +46 (0)70 252 00 98.