Digital Twin Tech to Help Triple Port of Esbjerg’s Offshore Wind Shipping Capacity

January 17, 2023, by Adnan Memija

Danish Port of Esbjerg, together with US-based Moffatt & Nichol, has deployed digital twin technology which could triple the port’s offshore wind capacity.

With a digital twin, the port can simulate future projects and operations, plan accordingly ahead of time, and thus be at the forefront of delivering the service and flexibility that the offshore wind projects of the future will require, according to the Port of Esbjerg.

The digital twin offers a 1:1 simulation of the port, using huge amounts of data to analyse all port processes related to the shipping of offshore wind installations.

With the help of the digital twin technology, the Port of Esbjerg hopes that they will deliver 4.5 GW offshore wind annually within the next two years instead of the current 1.5 GW.

“Working with the digital twin is a gamechanger. We can make much better decisions using that tool. And just imagine what we can achieve when we get suppliers entered into it. There’s no reason to think we’ll stop at 4.5 GW”, said Dennis Jul Pedersen, Port of Esbjerg CEO.

In September 2021, the Port of Esbjerg was given the green light by the local council for a major expansion that involves building more than 500,000 square metres of additional area to accommodate offshore wind activities.

According to the port, 80 per cent of the European offshore wind capacity has been shipped out from the Danish port.

Last year, the Port of Esbjerg, together with five other ports across Europe, forged an alliance to resolve capacity issues that already exist and are set to become even more pressing as offshore wind goals agreed under the Esbjerg Declaration bring faster buildout of offshore wind farms.