Frier Vest Port - a pioneering port

Customer needs are the guiding force behind the development of the new port terminal at Frier Vest. The port director emphasizes that the need to ensure future capacity has been the driving factor behind the establishment of the new port facility at Frier Vest.

Reduced turnaround time reduces emissions

– A smart port is primarily an efficient port. And an efficient port requires a large area. The port facility at Frier Vest will have 160 acres to operate on, compared to 80 acres at the Brevik terminal, says Torben Jepsen, port director at Grenland Port IKS.

The logistics solutions at the new port facility aim to meet the customers' needs for the shortest possible time at the quay before and after loading and unloading. The goal is the same for Frier Vest Port Terminal. Rapid unloading and loading of ships reduce emissions and ensure sustainable operations. In the long run, autonomous, land-based vehicles will ensure optimal efficiency in logistics.

Locally sourced building materials for the port facility

Right now perhaps Norway's largest movement of landmass is taking place for the new port. Frier Vest aims to make the development of the area as sustainable as possible, which is why locally sourced materials are used as the foundation for the quay.

– We retrieve blasted rock from the industrial area and move tons of fill material to the area that will become the Frierfjorden port. It's an environmentally friendly measure with good synergies for both the commercial areas and the port, explains Torben.

There will also be synergies between Grenland Port's existing facilities and the new one.

– «Yara Birkeland» will be central to both customer efficiency and our green footprint. The ship will travel between the production facilities at Herøya and Frier Vest Port Terminal and run on electricity supplied at the quay, says the port director. (Editor's note: MV «Yara Birkeland» is a self-driving, battery-powered container vessel, the first of its kind in the world.)

– The new port can become an energy hub for all ships berthed and other vehicles transporting goods to the terminal. The design takes into account that we may have new alternatives to current fuels, and we aim to provide any form of energy that future vessels will run on.

Existing port capacity is stretched

Frier Vest Port Terminal will be a much-needed addition to the port capacity in the Grenland area.

– The establishment of the Frier Vest industrial area will eventually become an important customer for the port, but mainly because the capacity at Brevik Terminal has reached saturation point, regardless of the progress at Frier Vest. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in container activity.

A new port facility is costly, but we now see that revenue-generating activity will be in place from day one.

Frier Vest Port will be a multi-purpose port, with the capacity to accommodate larger ships than the other facilities in Grenland.

– Shipping companies want the least possible time at the quay for their vessels. To meet this need and be an attractive option, the logistics must be as efficient and optimal as possible. With, among other things, a newly purchased mobile crane that runs on electricity, we meet both efficiency and environmental requirements, perfectly aligned with the Frier Vest strategy, concludes Torben Jepsen.