Lolland Municipality has its eyes set on the element factory in Rødbyhavn – and in particular the between 1,000 and 1,500 permanent jobs it will be able to shed. In the recent budget agreement for 2024, which a majority of Lolland’s city council has signed, it is stated: “In 2024 Lolland Municipality will clarify its own interests in the future operation of the element factory in Rødbyhavn, including the municipality’s desired role in the operation and development of the plant. “
No money but “great potential”
The budget agreement does not allocate money directly for this purpose, but the factory is mentioned because it “contains great potential for business and jobs,” as the agreement also states.
Mayor Holger Schou Rasmussen has made an announcement about what this role could entail.
– You can imagine a partnership, he says.
Could be Blue Water
The mayor elaborates on the speculation that a private company could take over the operation of the working port that has been established next to the tunnel factory.
– It could be, for example, Blue Water (Blue Water Shipping, ed.), which has the sense to develop ports, and then Lolland Municipality is a natural stakeholder. Depending on what the factory will do in the future, it must be modeled all the time, and we may have an interest in being involved, explains Holger Schou Rasmussen.
Working harbor part of the tunnel factory
Blue Water Shipping is already responsible for the operation of the working harbor during the Fehmarn Tunnel’s production period. Here, the Danish shipping giant is included as a subcontractor to the FLC consortium, which has outsourced port operations to Blue Water. The working harbor is an integral part of the tunnel factory in Rødbyhavn, and its fate thus coincides with the rest of the factory after 2029.
Blue Water looks forward to discussing the possibilities
The “feeler” from Lolland Municipality is received positively at Blue Water Shipping:
– At Blue Water Shipping we are of course very happy with our current presence on Lolland and proud to have been chosen for such an important role on the Fehmarn project. Since we entered into the project many years ago, we have had a long-term perspective, and have a great future desire to continue to contribute to the positive development of the port and support the local business community. We look forward to discussing the possibilities with the parties involved, says Klaus Odby, general manager for port operations at Blue Water Shipping.
The municipality allocates two extra man-years
The budget agreement also contains an acknowledgment that interest from companies with a focus on green transition is growing in Rødbyhavn. This puts pressure on the municipality’s administration, which has to process various applications. To meet this, the majority group has decided to set aside 1.2 million kroner annually for two extra full-time equivalents.
In light of these announcements, it seems clear that Lolland Municipality is preparing to play a central role in Rødbyhavn’s future. Exactly which role is still unclear.
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