"The seaport of Emden has great development potential, especially with regard to the expansion of renewable energies. At the same time, it holds great challenges for state policy in terms of investments in infrastructure." This was said by state parliament member Nico Bloem from Möhlenwarf after an out-of-town meeting of the "Ports and Shipping" subcommittee of the Lower Saxony state parliament, which met under his leadership at the NPorts site in Emden and then toured the port by bus.

Representatives of Emder Hafenförderungsgesellschaft e. V. (EHFG) explained to the state politicians at the first meeting of the committee in Emden in this legislative period above all the opportunities that the state port offers the state. EHFG Supervisory Board Chairman Timo Siebahn, for example, pointed to the strong position the port already holds in supplying offshore wind farms in the North Sea. "From the energy turnaround, which is just picking up speed again, we expect a significant additional cargo volume for Emden. This also applies to the recycling of wind turbines, some of which will soon have reached the end of their service life on the high seas," Siebahn explained to the guests from state politics. However, Manfred de Vries, as Vice Chairman of the EHFG, also showed the delegates the challenges facing the seaport. For example, he once again emphasized the need to adapt the shipping channel in the Outer Ems. de Vries: "A car transporter with electric vehicles has a draught that is 30 centimeters higher than previously with internal combustion cars, given the same cargo volume, simply because of the greater weight of these cars." In the course of the implementation of the "Masterplan Ems", which is also supported in principle by the Emden port industry, with the variant of low tidal water control that is emerging, there will be a drop in the water level of 40 centimeters in the outer harbor. Both aspects together showed that the fairway adjustment was necessary if only to be able to maintain Emden's current status as an efficient seaport. "And so the adjustment of the fairway depth and the ecological upgrading of the Lower Ems are inextricably linked," de Vries explained. At the meeting, EHFG Supervisory Board member Jan Remmers emphasized the importance of the port of Emden for handling forest products. "Parts of the paper industry in Germany and Europe are supplied with cellulose and liquid chalk as intermediate products for paper production via the port of Emden. However, some of the ships increasingly coming from South America can currently only reach the port of Emden if they are first lightered in ports with larger drafts. "For this we inevitably need the financial support of the state and thus from you as state politicians". EHFG board member Reinhard Hegewald urged subcommittee members to support the port industry's efforts to build a second rail bascule bridge. "We are very eager to see the results of a feasibility study commissioned by the Federal Ministry of Digital Affairs and Transport. But we are now also expecting more information soon on what the study entails."