Kristiansand Havn has become an important OSP port, with a well-established reputation.
Port of Kristiansand aims to be the region's leading Offshore Supply Port. In Norway, and especially in the Agder region, there is a lot of expertise within these industries, which makes Port of Kristiansand a suitable and attractive port for offshore ships. In the past, the term offshore was linked mostly to oil operations, but today many are shifting their focus towards more diverse sea-based industries, such as offshore wind.
In recent years Port of Kristiansand has made a number of investments to increase our capacity which strengthen our position in the market. We also offer shore power to wessels at our berths.
The expertise in the south of Norway includes large international companies such as National Oilwell, HMH, Cameron Sense, and a number of other companies within the same market. The companies are all associated with the GCE NODE network cluster, and are world leading in their field.
In 2014, Port of Kristiansand opened a new berth in Kongsgård as a result of this targeted investment, and only a few days later the first offshore rig was docked. Since then, there has been a significant increase in the number of offshore calls in Kristiansand, and most residents of Kristiansand have become accustomed to seeing the large vessels safely docked in Kongsgård. For each call, large, positive ripple effects are generated for the region's industry. Everything from larger companies that supply offshore cranes, to overnight stays in hotels and to smaller artisan companies become involved in the value chain when an offshore vessel is docked. It is estimated that each port of call generates several million in commissions for the surrounding business community.
Offshore is still a relatively small part of the total revenue for our port. Based on the importance this has for the industry, the development of offers for the offshore segment will be prioritized in the years ahead.
As a result of the merger with Lindesnes harbor in 2021, we have a larger selection of quaysides to offer this industry.
The aim is for the Port of Kristiansand to establish and further develop berths and areas for all parts of the future offshore industry. The need for the area will be developed in collaboration with business, and especially GCE NODE, which represents the companies. The areas must be arranged so that it allows for co-location of resource-related expertise in the port areas.
