State Secretary Makes Introductory Visit to the Port of Emden 

At the same time, State Secretary Matthias Wunderling-Weilbier confirmed that the Ems Quay in the outer port of Emden is also set to be expanded in order to compensate for potential impacts caused by tidal control measures.   

Wunderling-Weilbier emphasized that the Lower Saxony Ministry of Economic Affairs will continue to strongly advocate at the federal level for the construction of a second railway bascule bridge in Emden. “The existing bridge, which carries all freight rail traffic into the Port of Emden as well as passenger traffic to the ferry connections to Borkum, Norderney, and Juist, urgently needs to be supplemented by a second bridge,” he stated. “The federal government and Deutsche Bahn must fulfill their responsibility to provide efficient railway infrastructure.”       

At the invitation of the Emden Port Development Association (EHFG), Wunderling-Weilbier took a tour aboard the historic ship Ems through the inner and outer port. During the trip, he informed members of the EHFG’s supervisory and executive boards about the planned renovation and redevelopment of the western section of the South Quay by Niedersachsen Ports (NPorts). “This is an extremely positive development for our inland port,” commented Emden's port representative Reinhard Hegewald. The space is urgently needed for handling components for the wind energy sector and marks another important milestone in Emden’s journey to becoming an ‘offshore gateway.’ 

NPorts is responsible for the planning and execution of the project. Final planning is expected to be completed next year, with construction scheduled to begin in 2027. “With the expansion of the South Quay, we are strengthening the capacity of the Port of Emden and creating much-needed infrastructure for the energy transition,” said Aiko Hollander, head of the Emden branch of NPorts.

Through the planning and implementation of this project, NPorts reaffirms its role as a driving force in port development in Lower Saxony. The construction will provide the port with an additional quay wall approximately 150 meters long, designated for the handling and storage of high-value general cargo.