Plans to bring back the Groningen-Norway ferry will cost €75 million
An expansion of Eemshaven that will include a new ferry terminal for planned passenger and freight routes to Norway is to cost 75 million euros, with completion targeted for early 2028, RTV Noord reports.
The new 7.5-hectare harbor section — roughly the size of 10 soccer fields — will be built at the mouth of the Eems on the tip of the Westpier in Beatrixhaven. Water inside the sea barrier will be filled with sand and paved over as part of the land reclamation project.
Current plans include two quays suitable for ferries and other vessels. The berths will include roll-on/roll-off facilities for loading cars and trucks. The site will also include a passenger terminal with customs facilities, staging areas for vehicle traffic, and a large parking lot. The northern section will be used for logistics activities.
If construction proceeds on schedule, the project will be completed in the first quarter of 2028, allowing Njordic Ferry Lines to launch its first sailing between Eemshaven and Norway.
“It is a positive development,” Groningen Seaports CEO Bart Jan Hoevers said. “Together with the entire company and the region, we are committing ourselves to making this project a success.”
Hoevers said the project could eventually help establish Eemshaven as a broader ferry hub if the route to Norway succeeds, despite the collapse of an earlier ferry service to Kristiansand.
“It is certainly our long-term ambition,” Hoevers said. "However, we aim to proceed gradually. The previous ferry to Norway went bankrupt. We are now trying to establish it seriously with the right configuration and a dedicated quay. If the quay used by the Norway service proves successful, there will always be time slots available for other ferry services as well.” Potential future destinations could include Scotland, England, and Ireland, he said.
Hoevers said he has confidence in Njordic Ferry Lines because “people involved in the company have proven experience with ferry connections.”
He added that ferry operations would not interfere with Eemshaven’s existing industrial, energy, and offshore wind activities because the new harbor section will be located at the harbor entrance with limited interaction with the rest of the port.
Passenger transport is not entirely new to Eemshaven. The Borkumlijn ferry service was among the first companies established there, and this year marks its 50th anniversary in the 53-year-old harbor.
Edwin van der Stam from Njordic Ferry Lines told RTV Noord that the company had already completed much of the preparation work. “Our business plan is finished and approved,” Van der Stam said. “For now, we are standing in the wings waiting for Groningen Seaports to give the green light.”
The company will only begin searching for ships once construction of the port infrastructure is guaranteed, he said. “We have had to shift our schedule somewhat, but we assume we can begin sailing in early 2028,” Van der Stam said.
On the Norwegian side, facilities in the port city of Arendal are almost fully prepared, according to Van der Stam. Additional road infrastructure upgrades around the harbor are planned there for 2029.
