Plotting a Growth Trajectory - With the Help of New Quays

In Brake, the handling of agricultural products has steadily increased over the years. Each year, more than three million metric tons are brought ashore. To adjust the port's capacities to accommodate the rising turnover quantities, Niedersachsen Ports prepared in 2015 all necessary steps for the construction of a second large ship berth at the Südkai (South Piers). This will ensure an increased cargo handling capacity of 4.3 million metric tons annually. For the new berth the shoreside bollards will be retrofitted, the rail facility will be moved, and an additional crane rail track will be created. This means that in the future, two large ships with a length of up to 270 meters can be processed simultaneously. After dredging the bed in the course of the expansion of the river Weser, the new berth will be suited for ships with a draft of up to 12.80 meters. This means that fully loaded Panamax class sized ships would be able to reach or leave the port of Brake.

The capacities of the Europakai (Europe Quay) in Cuxhaven, which is utilized as an all-purpose pier, are nearly exhausted. To avoid waiting times in the processing of ships, Niedersachsen Ports is extending the this quay. This will result in the creation of Berth 4, with a length of 290 meters and will include a heavy load platform. The quay is designed for vessels with a draft of max. 17.30 meters. The quay's construction will also open up surface areas with a total size of about eight hectares for cargo handling operation. Due to the expected usage for offshore, heavy lift and project cargoes, the quays and cargo handling areas will be designed to handle heavy load stress.

The increase in ships' traffic and the ever-increasing size of the vessels triggered a demand for additional berths in the Port of Norddeich. That is why we are re-purposing a 68-meter partial stretch of the eastern jetty by the port entrance into a quay. The resulting new quay may for instance serve as the base for two offshore supply vessels and can thereby strengthen this portion of the local port industry. In addition, we are increasing the height of the adjacent 70 meter long quay wall by 50 centimeters in order to gain two additional, tide-independent berths.

The expansion of the quay wall at the port entrance is implemented by extending the eastern jetty northwards. We will construct a back-anchored steel sheet pile wall, along with a ten-meter-wide quay area. The proximity to the National Park Wadden Sea in Niedersachsen requires a visual barrier for the wildlife fauna. For this purpose, we will build up a natural stone wall to create a spatial barrier between the port area and the National Park. Completion of these construction measures is expected by mid-2018.

The Niedersachsenbrücke Jetty was completed and commissioned for operation in 1972. Not only does the hard coal that gets landed there supply the coal power plant in Wilhelmshaven, but plants all over Germany. Now it's time to redo the anti-corrosion coating. It protects the foundation piles from environmental impact and thus ensures a longer life span for the entire structure.

During a time frame of 5 years we will completely refurbish the protective coating of about 700 foundation piles below the Niedersachsenbrücke Jetty. This means re-coating a total surface of about 7000 m² - that's more or less the equivalent of eight soccer fields. The restoration project was greenlighted on May 22, 2017. The work is exclusively carried out during the tidal surge-free months between May and September and is scheduled to be completed by fall of 2021.