“Maritime Denmark” increases its influence

BY JACOB BENTHIEN

“Maritime Denmark” is more than a collection of shipping companies. It is a cluster with a wealth of maritime know-how. From research and training to production of worldleading engine technology, and everything in between.

Danish shipping company J. Lauritzen A/S scooped the prestigious Lloyds List Ship of the Year 2008 Award this spring. The accolade was given to the gas tanker Isabella Kosan, the first in a series of 12 ships supplied from the Sekwang shipyard in South Korea, in recognition of a large number of innovative initiatives in safety, environmental protection and operational efficiency.

Although construction was carried out in South Korea, the design and the most of the ship’s contents are produced in Denmark. While the primary link in Danish shipping, the shipping companies, employ around 30,000 people on land and at sea, the cluster known as Maritime Denmark employs more than 100,000 people. There is a rich network of suppliers for the majority of components for the international shipyard industry – from advanced navigation equipment and ship paint to diesel engines and pumps for safety and lifesaving equipment.

“When we developed Isabella Kosan, we gave ourselves the task of evaluating every single working procedure and every single part of the ship to see whether they could be improved,” says director Jan Kastrup-Nielsen of J. Lauritzen Kosan. “During that development process, a vast number of improvements were made, which originate directly from the know-how and network which we are a part of in Maritime Denmark. There is a wealth of knowledge and expertise in Denmark in nearly all areas of ship building and design, which very few other countries can match.”

OFFSHORE ACTIVITY GLOBALLY
A significant part of the maritime industry in Denmark is the offshore sector, which is active not only in the Danish part of the North Sea, but also on the global market. The world’s seventh largest operator of drilling rigs, Maersk Contractors, with 30 mobile platforms and a constant newbuild programme, is influential in setting the agenda for development of the international oil and gas industry.

The energy industry’s offshore wind farms also form part of the Maritime Denmark cluster. Denmark has the world’s three largest offshore wind farms, and two new offshore projects are under way. The construction and operation of the wind farms, which in terms of output are in the 250 MW class, are based on leading Danish technology. Offshore and landbased wind turbines collectively cover 30% of Danish electricity consumption.

INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING COMPANIES ON THE WAY
The know-how and expertise accumulated in Maritime Denmark has already attracted a number of international maritime companies to Copenhagen. Although the Danish capital still lacks the international environment that characterises cities like London and Singapore, Danish influence on international shipping is slowly changing this picture. A couple of large Japanese shipping companies have plans to establish offices in Copenhagen, according to the Danish Shipowners’ Association.

“Growth across an entire industry has a self-perpetuating effect,” says Jan Fritz Hansen of the Danish Shipowners’ Association. “Especially when Denmark has a higher growth rate in shipping than the international average. Just five years ago, Copenhagen was a regional centre for shipping. Today it has become a European centre. I am convinced that in five years, Copenhagen will be a metropolis on a world scale and among the three most important shipping cities in the world.”

 
J. Lauritzen’s new gas tanker, Isabella Kosan, received the prestigious Lloyds List Ship of the Year 2008 Award this spring.