8. February 2024
How lucky we are in our city that a ferry to the Netherlands engages so many people!
Port of Kristiansand IKS has in its strategy that we will work to establish a new ferry call to the Netherlands. We have been specific that we welcome more destinations.
We have a ripple effect analysis that says something about the sizes we operate with far beyond the port's areas. We are, and have always been, a port city. And with the commitment we see around the ferry terminal these days, we are confident that we will continue to be a port city for all time to come.
There is no doubt that the ferry terminal is important for the entire port, but the port is so much more than just ferries. Our most important business areas are:
- passenger transportation that includes both ferry traffic and cruises.
- goods that include both container and rolling cargo, as well as other bulk and general cargo.
- property, which includes all areas such as quay fronts, back areas, warehouses, office buildings, etc. that are essential for port operations and for the operators working in the port.
- offshore activities that today provide major ripple effects for the region in terms of maintenance, repairs and new systems, as we already have a more than solid value chain in this area in our region.
- fisheries, which is a regionally important industry that we at the port want to help to boost by facilitating our position as Southern Norway's leading fishing port.
The infrastructure at the ferry terminal has two ferry berths that are busy with calls for much of the morning and afternoon. During peak season, the call times become even more dense. A ferry terminal requires check-in systems, ISPS fencing for security, vehicle parking and customs clearance. As much as we want a new initiative for Kristiansand and the region, we have a responsibility as a responsible company to take care of the companies that operate in the port now and have done so for a long time.
We are affected by infrastructure projects around us. The new E39 and Gartnerløkka will affect the capacity we have at the entrance and parking spaces at the ferry landing. This is a major challenge with planned calls by Color Line and Fjord Line, which already operate in the port. From February this year, Fjord Line has also added an extra call from our city and ferry terminal. We should be happy about this, that the crossroads from the continent ends up here where the E39 meets both the E18 and Route 9.
Several stakeholders mention Kongsgård/Vige as an alternative. There are also major projects planned here in the near future. Firstly, Nye Veier will build the route to the E18 at the entrance and exit to the port's land fjord areas. There will be a lot of surplus stone here, which according to plan will go to the port and must be stored in Kongsgård.
It has been decided that during the current four-year period, the container terminal will be moved from the city center to Kongsgård/Vige. This is a process that requires a lot of space for the move. Here too, the Port of Kristiansand IKS has a responsibility to ensure that ordinary port activity is maintained as far as possible so that this does not affect the ripple effects that the container terminal and offshore activities provide to local and regional businesses.
In connection with the relocation of the container terminal, Vige harbor road must be improved to ensure safety when moving containers and vehicles. Furthermore, it is important to note that if we are to receive a ferry from the continent, we must also ensure that everything on land such as customs, border control, ticket booths and parking spaces are in place.
It is clear that the municipality itself has wanted to see a creative development of Caledonien and Lagmannsholmen as an important part of urban development in Kristiansand. Perhaps we should now include ferry quays and the joint use of these areas, which already have the necessary basis for a third ferry landing? Because where many people remember Romantika docking, we also had challenges with the capacity of the quayside, the ramps and the handling of passenger and car traffic. The offer that has now been submitted requires a completely different size of quay front and rear area. "We're talking about ships that are of a completely different size than Holland Norway Lines' Romantika, which means that a completely different arrangement must be put in place.
The glass ball shows that we can achieve this in the long term. But we must be able to look at the potential 3-5 years ahead and not just what's coming today.
The infrastructure at the ferry terminal will improve considerably when the E18 Gartnerløkka - Kolsdalen road is completed. We will then regain an important part of the areas that will serve as construction areas for the road project until 2029. In the long term, it will therefore be possible to improve the inner harbor with a third ferry landing up to 2029.
Caledonien and Lagmannsholmen could provide the city with a wealth of opportunities for both ferry traffic and tourism, as well as urban development if we can manage to keep these two ideas in mind at the same time.
Kongsgård/Vige will give the container terminal a whole new reality, which in turn will have ripple effects on industry and business. This area could also provide much more for the offshore industry in the future. If we are to consider Kongsgård/Vige as a temporary area for ferries in the medium term, this area must be shared with container handling.
A direct port call to the continent, for example the Netherlands, will give the city and the region a boost in tourism as we saw with HN Lines, the city center and hotels will once again grow, as will the port.
"We very much welcome this initiative. We can see the benefits for both the municipality and the region with a port call in the Netherlands. However, we must remember that a port is more than just a ferry.
