1. Piling work for the expansion of berths 5-7 in Cuxhaven

Mar 18, 2026

Cuxhaven, 06.02.2025
(Press release/photos: Lower Saxony Ports)

It is early in the morning, and a tense silence hangs over the future construction site in the harbour. Albert Schmidt is a project manager at the port company Niedersachsen Ports (NPorts) and is checking one last time to see if the pile driver is ready for action. The first pile will be driven into the ground shortly – the symbolic start of construction of the new berths 5-7 in Cuxhaven. The civil engineer has gained a wealth of experience with large-scale projects during his professional career. Time pressure, unpredictable weather and other challenges are part of everyday life for him and his team. "Every port facility is unique. Requirements in terms of size, depth and heavy-duty capacity vary as much as the use and conditions of the respective environment," explains Schmidt. What's more, what they are building here will play a key role in the supply of renewable energy for decades to come. "This is a very special construction site for us. We are very excited that it is starting today," Schmidt continues.

Cuxhaven: Hub for the energy of the future

The German Offshore Industry Centre is located near where the Elbe flows into the North Sea. Three new berths, together with the associated 38 hectares of terminal area, are being built along a 1,250-metre stretch of coastline. These additional berths will create a continuous quay in Cuxhaven between berths 1 to 4 and the existing offshore berths 8 and 9. The new berths are specifically designed for the transhipment of wind turbines and will help to meet the increased demand for transhipment and storage space for onshore and offshore wind turbines.

Olaf Lies, Lower Saxony's Minister for Economic Affairs, Transport, Building and Digitalisation, explains: "We have been working on the planning and financing of the berths for a long time – a major undertaking that we have mastered together with the many committed parties involved in the region, the federal government and the business community. Now comes the next decisive step: the first pile driving marks the official start of construction of a project of national importance. We are building much more than just a jetty here. This project stands for a resilient, clean and permanently affordable energy supply not only for Lower Saxony, but for the whole of Germany. And it creates incentives for companies to settle in Lower Saxony. With the port expansion, we are creating urgently needed capacity for the energy industry. Cuxhaven will continue to be a central logistics hub for the expansion of onshore and offshore wind energy in Germany and Europe. This will create added value locally, secure good jobs in the long term and strengthen the economic future of our coast. Cuxhaven and NPorts are continuing to write an exemplary story here of how good ideas become concrete projects for the future."

Stefan Wenzel, Member of the German Parliament and Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection, explains: "Offshore wind energy is a key technology for the success of the energy transition, and Cuxhaven is one of the most important seaports on the North Sea for the delivery of large components for wind turbines and the construction of offshore wind farms. The port expansion beginning today will ensure that the port of Cuxhaven can continue to meet the increasing demands and growing components in the future. The construction of the new berths is of enormous importance for achieving our national offshore expansion goals and is an important building block for the successful transformation of our energy system. I am certain that the three additional berths will strengthen the competitiveness of the German Offshore Industry Centre and contribute to more growth, employment and prosperity throughout the region. As the federal government, we are supporting this port expansion due to its special significance for energy and regional policy with funding from the joint task "Improvement of the Regional Economic Structure" (GRW). This demonstrates once again that this most important regional policy instrument in Germany strengthens the local economy."

Cuxhaven: Hafen mit Weitblick

The port company NPorts is planning to expand berths 5-7 with an investment of around €300 million. To support the project, it will receive up to €200 million in funding from the Federal Government and the State of Lower Saxony as part of the "Joint Task for the Improvement of Regional Economic Structures" (GRW). The remaining €100 million will be pre-financed by the port industry in the form of concessions.

"Through the persistent development of the port, the state and NPorts, as well as stakeholders in the city, have earned Cuxhaven a reputation as a pioneer in business. With the unique path we are taking here, we are jointly financing the port construction with the federal government, the state and the business community, positioning ourselves as part of the solution for the energy transition," explains Holger Banik, Managing Director of Niedersachsen Ports GmbH & Co. KG and JadeWeserPort Realisierungs GmbH & Co. KG.

Two concessionaires will take over the operation of the berths. Cuxport GmbH will receive a terminal concession for berths and terminal areas 5 and 6.1, which will cover around 19 hectares once the berths have been built. Completion is scheduled for 2027. Blue Water Breb GmbH will receive another contract for the adjacent terminal areas 6.2 and 7, which cover the same area. Completion is scheduled for 2028.

"We will be ready just when the requirements from the previous expansion targets are at their greatest. With this range of high-performance port infrastructure, local logistics companies will be able to develop their onshore and offshore businesses in a binding manner," continued Port Director Banik.

Challenge accepted

The first pile is driven into the ground and a deep, muffled rumble rolls across the harbour area. Albert Schmidt and Anja Albrecht, project manager at the construction company Depenbrock Ingenieurwasserbau GmbH & Co. KG, look out over the water, which will be transformed into a huge construction site over the coming months. After all the months of planning, countless consultations and preparatory work, this is the moment they have been longing for. Finally, they can do what they love most and what they do best: build. "When everything is finished, we can say: we have built something that will last. Something that will help shape the energy of the future."