Newsletter - June 2026
Welcome
Welcome to a new edition of the newsletter from Hvide Sande Port. In any business, there are good days and bad days. But this period has been marked by various large and small events that both point back and point forward, and you can read more about them in the newsletter. If we look at tasks for the coming years, it is exciting that there are now bidders as a consequence of the offshore wind supply in the North Sea west of Hvide Sande. This will provide new opportunities for the port and it will change parts of the port in the coming 10 years. It has also been exciting to be the shipping port for the wind turbine foundations that are currently on their way to Spain. It is good that Denmark continues to be a leader in the development of various types of wind turbine tasks, and we are naturally happy that Hvide Sande Port has a central role in this. The past also leaves its marks today, and it is a joy that we now have one of the cranes that helped close the first canal in 1915 back, and it is my expectation that we can now have the crane placed at Søndre Sikring at Dækmolevej. As you know, it took some years later to create the current lock facility, and therefore the town can celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2031. When the town and the port turned 75 years, the Queen and the Prince visited, as you can also read about in this newsletter. Hopefully, we will have a great anniversary in 2031.
I hope you find the newsletter interesting. If you no longer wish to receive the newsletter, or if you would like to have it automatically, please send an email to me at mp@hvshavn.dk
What is happening around the Port
The establishment of pier 109 is in its final phase and is expected to be completed in October 2026. The sheet piling and hammer are finished. The back area is good at approximately 7000 m2, and it lacks the finished paving with concrete slabs. Light masts are installed, bollards on the hammer are installed. As can be seen in the picture, there is an area between the pier edge and the northern protection that lacks completion. Originally, the pier was to be connected to the old northern protection, but it turned out to be impossible due to old concrete blocks deep down and close to the protection, which made it impossible to drive in the piles without risking damage to the protection. The area between the pier and the protection will soon be paved with a stone setting, primarily aimed at protecting the protection and the land side against the pier area. This work will take place in July and August with a vessel that can precisely place large granite blocks from the water side.
Pier 109 is still considered a strategically important project that will positively contribute to both the port's and the town's development in the coming years.
Various news
The old rescue station at Nordhavns Kaj will be demolished this autumn. The recent time has been spent applying for a demolition permit, preparing analyses of building waste, etc. When Ringkøbing Skjern Municipality's permission is available, the work will commence.
New lighting has been established on the west side of the auction hall facing the harbor basin, which has resulted in a significantly better illumination of the area. New lighting has also been installed on the "box hall" facing pier 15 (the south harbor).
We are currently engaged in repairing the roof of the Equipment Terminal, where we are replacing the lowest panels over approximately 500 meters, which are very exposed to rust.
New designated waste stations have been established in Mamrelund for houseboats and at Tyskerhavnen for houseboats and overnight cabins. We expect that the challenges we have had with waste being left behind and waste from others than the intended users of the waste bins will be addressed.
Additionally, as part of optimizing our waste collection, we have installed new waste containers at all our piers (reserved for fishing-related waste), making it significantly easier to handle waste. We continually evaluate whether we can optimize further with sorting into more fractions.
We are continuously working on preparing green areas and paths – we always strive to have inviting areas. Suggestions for improvements are welcome, and it can also be new places where one can enjoy the view and a packed lunch.
Asphalt works are an annual recurring activity, where we try to renew asphalt over larger areas or repair holes that occur through winter. This work is also ongoing this year.
Henning's anecdotes:
When the Queen came to Hvide Sande – and the piano moved more than the guests
This year marks 20 years since Hvide Sande celebrated its 75th anniversary with a royal visit. On September 5, 2006, we were visited by Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik – and we quickly realized that it would be a day where not everything went exactly as planned.
The preparations had been underway for a long time. The town was decorated to the nines, the flags stood straight, and even the weather – which had otherwise troubled the rest of West Jutland – chose to behave. And then things started to go awry behind the scenes.
The Blue Tower received a makeover and transitioned from worn pale blue to “real Blue Tower blue.” The lock was scrubbed, painted, and made nice. There were to be an art exhibition, historical panels, and music. And speaking of music, there was of course to be a musical interlude…
A piano was, with great effort, dragged down to the lock. They then decided that it should be placed at the South Beach. Down it went again. Then they changed their mind again – it should be in the lock after all. Back again! And finally, after another adjustment, the piano ended up… in the Fishermen's House. All in all, probably the day's most traveled instrument.
Prince Henrik was to pass by the Blue Tower, and we were ready. Søren and I had practiced, and there were both dried plaice and Fur pilsners ready. Henrik was well prepared, curious, and clearly well-versed – which is not always the case! He had a taste, and it all went splendidly.
Then it was the Queen's turn, and I dashed to the lock to greet her. I had prepared a fine and meticulously timed narration about the port's history – all the way from 1910 and onwards. The problem was just that the Queen had her own schedule.
Every time I was well into a point, she moved on.
Then she moved a bit further.
And then a bit more.
I barely managed to finish a sentence before she was halfway to the next panel. I must admit that I became a bit... let’s say irritated – but after all, she is the Queen.
As we stood outside on the south side of the lock, the court marshal tapped me on the shoulder: “The Queen would like to see the Blue Tower. Can you be there in 5 minutes?”
Of course, I could.
I sprinted back. Up to the Blue Tower, where Søren and Åse were sitting with their feet up and were well into the dried plaice and the rest of the beer.
“The Queen is coming!” I shouted.
“Yeah, yeah,” they said, “that’s good for you.”
But a few seconds later there was a full cleanup and a new arrangement of dried plaice.
The Queen arrived – although it wasn’t actually on the program – and her car was strategically parked right in the middle of the road over the chamber lock, blocking all traffic. She took it completely calmly.
Inside the Blue Tower, I (again) began my story. The court marshal was pressed, the schedule was slipping and he stood in the doorway clapping his hands to speed up the pace, but the Queen took her time.
On the way out, she spotted the dried plaice. She grabbed a piece of kitchen roll, took a couple of pieces of plaice – she turned towards the court marshal, looked over the dishes: “Shouldn’t you taste, Mr. Court Marshal?” she said, “No,” it sounded dry. One could sense that he was rather busy.
The last item of the day was the artwork at the South Harbor. Prince Henrik was shown up over the dunes by representatives from the State Art Foundation, sculptor Marianne Hesselbjerg, and Prince Henrik looked around questioningly and asked: “Where is the artwork?”
Thus ended a day where much was planned – and even more was improvised.
Now there are only five years until the 100th anniversary. If the experience from 2006 holds true, we can calmly start moving the piano already now.
Did you know that the exhibition in the lock during Hvide Sande's 75th anniversary marked the start of Art in the Lock which is held every year.
This year there is an exhibition from Sunday the 2nd to Friday the 14th of August.
The Langsand project is nearing completion
More than 10 years ago, the idea arose to create developments in the Langsand area south of Tyskerhavn. The first years were spent developing the project, but here in 2026 we will soon see the completion of the construction, as the last houses have been sold. And thus, the pleasant everyday life in the new holiday home area can begin. To the benefit of those who own the houses or rent the houses. To the benefit of Hvide Sande Port, which will gain a good income from renting the areas. And to the benefit of the town and the traders, as it also brings more customers around the town.
The total investment in the area has been about 170 million DKK, but as most of this amount has been spent with craftsmen here in Hvide Sande, it has also contributed to earnings and jobs in the area. A total of 91 apartments have been built, and as there is also a very high utilization of the apartments, the new homes have also contributed to increased turnover for the businesses. It is estimated that a daily expenditure is around 1,100 DKK per guest per day, so it is likely that the homes will generate additional revenue of more than 50 million DKK per year.
However, the project has not been without problems. As can also be seen with the Lock Ø, it took a long time to get the project going, but once sales started around 2018, it moved quickly.
The project is a testament to one of Hvide Sande's strengths. The town is good at coming together to develop new ideas, and the project is a good example of when sharing good ideas, two plus two often equals five, so everyone who was involved in the idea development deserves great praise.
Offshore Wind Tender – Nordsøen Midt
Back in December 2024, there was a bidding deadline for 3 offshore wind farms in the North Sea off Hvide Sande. There were no bids made to the state to construct the wind turbines. This was disappointing for us at the port because we had spent a lot of time both in dialogue with potential bidders and preparing areas for upcoming maintenance centers at the port. Therefore, we are pleased that the Energy Agency has been in dialogue with the market regarding the tender conditions for constructing offshore wind farms, and on May 20th there was a bidding deadline for one of the farms that is being offered. The Energy Agency has stated that there are several bidders for the project, and that the winner of the tender will be announced no later than January 2027. The park will be a minimum of 1GW, which corresponds to 67 x 15MW turbines and is to be put into operation by the end of 2032.
Nordsøen Midt lies about 20 km from the coast directly west of Hvide Sande, which is consequently the closest port to the project. At Hvide Sande Port, we look forward to the upcoming dialogue with the winning company and to being able to offer areas for an O&M center (maintenance in the 30-year operational phase). Such a project will employ up to 50 people in the 30-year period + the crew that will be setting up and subsequently dismantling the turbines. We have had good dialogue with several potential bidders and have quayside areas set aside ready to construct an O&M center.
In the construction phase, we hope to be able to participate in tasks as a commissioning port with construction management office and storage facilities along with crew boats CTV / SOV’ers. In addition, follow-up tasks such as patrol boats, preliminary studies, marking vessels, support vessels, scour protection, smaller steel components, cable-laying vessels, etc.
In addition to Nordsøen Midt, the Nordsøen Syd wind farm is also in tender. However, this park has its bidding deadline first in the autumn of 2028 and must be installed by the end of 2034.
Have you heard that Hvide Sande Port is once again the harbor that has landed the most sand eels.
Swing Bridge and Lock Ø are still delayed.
Ringkøbing-Skjern Municipality is well underway in planning the swing bridge and Town Square. A number of technical considerations have been clarified, but it is also evident that especially the swing bridge presents challenges. The swing bridge must be able to open quickly due to the needs of the Rescue Service. However, the swing bridge must also handle very changing water levels, blustery weather, high salinity, and considerable currents in the water. Finally, the swing bridge must of course also meet requirements for accessibility and safety. All these challenges indicate that the project will be postponed. The bridge was supposed to be ready in 2027, but it will be tight to reach that.
This also poses problems for a construction at Lock Ø. Hvide Sande Port is still in the process regarding this, but construction is of course very dependent on infrastructure and the appearance of Town Square, so there is not much concrete to mention, other than that the explorations are ongoing.
Remember that the next newsletter will come in October. If you have suggestions for content, you are welcome to write to Mogens at mp@hvshavn.dk
SeaAction, 2-year seaweed project.
The Win@sea project has spent the last 2 years conducting a smaller test-run with the cultivation of sugar kelp on lines in the Vesterhav Syd wind farm. It is a EU project that actually belongs in the Kriegers Flak wind farm in the Baltic Sea, but bad salt content in the water over there prevents the kelp from growing. Therefore, they are testing in the saline North Sea at Vattenfall’s wind farm. There have been really good growth conditions in the park off Hvide Sande, and the consortium therefore wishes to create a large demonstration project in the park. Hvide Sande Port and Hvide Sande Service Group have actively participated over the past few years to get this to succeed. The port and Hvide Sande Service Group have joined in a consortium, including Aarhus University (ECO-science), Vattenfall, Arctic Seaweed (Norway), Kerteminde Seafarm, Ocean Rainforest (Faroe Islands), Kattegatcentret and the University of Copenhagen. Additionally, we are very pleased that local forces have also joined the project. Besides the service group, Hvide Sande Seafood (Freshly Caught Fish), OmHu, and Ringkøbing Fjord Museums are also involved. The aim is to create local handling of sugar kelp, local products such as fish cakes with kelp, kelp beer, spices, pesto, dried kelp for ingredients, etc. Furthermore, the project/kelp communication and recycling of plastic lines, etc. with Omhu.
If anyone is interested in contributing to the project with local ideas and ways to use the kelp, you are very welcome to contact Torben from HSSG at ts@hvshavn.dk
The project has applied for grant funding from the BANOS project, and if it turns out successful, a full-scale demonstration facility for the production and cultivation of sugar kelp will be established in the western part of Vesterhav Syd wind farm during a 2-year trial period. We hope and believe in the project, and it can lead to permanent kelp cultivation in the area using local companies' competencies.
Heavy lift components for floating wind turbine foundations
Over the past 2 years, Hvide Sande Port has worked together with Stiesdal Offshore on transportation, storage, and shipment of very large steel components for their prototype of a floating offshore wind turbine foundation. It is a complex project where the West Harbor's infrastructure enables the transport. The pier itself has a large load-bearing capacity, allowing the loading of elements weighing up to 500 tons, as well as crucially allowing storage in the back area, where we have a load-bearing capacity of 18 tons per m2 and a point load of 50 tons per m2. This creates a stable substructure, so the elements must stand without “sinking”.
Stiesdal Offshore has rented 10,000 m2 of space within the ISPS fence during June/July, from the first delivery until the last element was loaded onto MV Hilke, which is incidentally the largest freighter ever to call at Hvide Sande. MV Hilke is 133 meters long, 23 meters wide, and its two cranes can each lift 450 tons, with tandem lifts of 900 tons. A total of 7 components with a total weight of 3,000 tons are loaded on 2 shipments with MV Hilke. The components are produced at Welcon in Give, shipped to Spain for further processing, where they are also painted. Later, the components will be assembled at another port, after which they will be launched and installed with a 15 MW offshore wind turbine. The CO2 emissions from production and all handling are “paid back” before the first-year power production from the offshore wind turbine.
With the transport of the Siemens nacelle just over a year ago and these 7 massive elements again, the West Harbor in Hvide Sande shows its worth once more. We are upgrading the area with an additional approximately 35,000 m2 of back area with great load capacity, so we are ready for more projects related to the further expansion of offshore wind in the North Sea in the coming years.
Thanks to Stiesdal Offshore for the good cooperation over nearly 2 years. The collaboration, the will, and the close partnership around making this succeed have been absolutely crucial.
A piece of the first Hvide Sande: 110-year-old crane returns home!
In connection with the securing and finally closing of the canal in the years 1913–1915, powerful cranes were used to place concrete blocks weighing up to 12 tons and to lay concrete-filled grain sacks. The cranes were specially manufactured for this purpose at Hvilans Mekaniska Verkstad in Kristianstad, Sweden, and the work was carried out according to the instructions of engineer Arvid Holm.
The blocks had to be placed on the concrete foundation in bags with the help of hand-driven cranes so that the construction could withstand the forces of the sea and ensure a durable closure of the passage.
One of these 5-ton cranes has a special story. It originally stood in Hvide Sande, where it helped close the wide gap between the fjord and the sea with concrete blocks during the years 1913-1915. At that time, it was the Water and Building Authority (VBV), with an office in Ringkøbing until 1972, responsible for the canal closing work.
It is unclear exactly when the crane was moved to Ringkøbing Port, but it was in active use there for many years and was in operation until 2020 when it was taken out of service for safety reasons.
Until recently, the crane stood at the municipality's material yard in Ringkøbing. It has now been moved back to Hvide Sande, where it is located at the port's material yard. Here it will be renovated and prepared to become part of a historical environment.
The plan is for the crane to be placed again at the southern protection, where it will be exhibited along with original concrete blocks and “concrete sacks” with imprints of sackcloth from 1913. These concrete blocks and concrete sacks were retrieved during the construction of pier 109 and contribute to telling the story of the work with securing and closing the canal that connected the fjord in 1910 to 1915.
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Did you know that:
When the Hvide Sande canal was finally closed in May 1915, it was the culmination of several years of struggle against the sea, currents, and sand. As early as 1912, around 1,700 tons of cement were transported for the work, and numerous concrete sacks were cast into the water along the way to tame the harsh gap between sea and fjord. Later, the enormous 12.5-ton blocks were also used around the piers. Finally, the closing was completed with concrete sacks, 5-ton blocks, and large amounts of sand – and on May 22, 1915, one could walk barefoot across the closed canal for the first time.
Open Harbor: A whole harbor full of experiences
On Sunday, July 5th, we will again open the doors for visitors. Open Harbor is the chance to get up close with the maritime life that usually unfolds behind the scenes, and this year there is again a program that offers something for all ages. The whole port will buzz with life and activity from 10 AM to 4 PM, and the best part: It is free to participate.
The day kicks off in earnest at 11 AM when the open fish auction begins in the Auction Hall. Bid and buy fish for your dinner in the traditional manner. Afterwards, you can sit down in the fish kitchen for lunch, or perhaps enjoy a local beer while live music is played in front of the Brewery.
At the Lock Ø the atmosphere is set for an entire afternoon of entertainment: Go onboard a real shrimp boat, check out the rescue boat Emile Robin, and enjoy tastings of Hvide Sande shrimp, prepared by chef Bent Gråkjær. From noon, Skipperlaks will provide the music, and the kids can run wild with Frank Hoedt, who will draw with them all day. Again this year, Hvide Sande Træskibslaug will have a prominent place by the pleasure boat pier.
In the Blue Tower, we will have an open house all day, and this year, you can exceptionally come onboard the Norwegian steamship D/S Hestmanden as well as see fire trucks, rescue vehicles, and ambulances from MidtVest Brand & Redning. You can also visit the Rescue Station and hear how the rescuers carry out their work – and at Slusekajen there is an opportunity to meet the Marine Association and visit Vattenfall.
Open Harbor is a day where the many facets of the port unfold in full swing, from fishing and rescue work to music, food, and maritime craftsmanship. And as always, the town's shops and eateries will be open, so there is plenty of opportunity to make a whole day out of your visit.
Photo Competition
Participate in the photo competition and win 10,000 DKK.
What does your Hvide Sande Port look like?
Is it the work on the pier, seals in the sand, Blue Tower, the weather over the port, or another special moment that catches your eye?
#myhvidesandehavn
Participate in our photo competition on Instagram by sharing a picture with #myhvidesandehavn and show us your version of the harbor.
You can win:
A gift card of 10,000 DKK for a holiday home stay with Esmark
A gift card of 5,000 DKK for a holiday home stay with Esmark
The competition takes place exclusively on Instagram.
Here’s how to participate:
????Take a picture at or around Hvide Sande Port
????Share it in a public post on Instagram
⚓ Use the hashtag #MyHvideSandeHavn
The winner will be selected by Hvide Sande Port and contacted directly.
We look forward to seeing the harbor through your eyes.
