So far, it has been mainly large car freighters that have headed to the seaport of Emden - in the future, more military ships, such as frigates, will also dock and depart from the Outer Ems. According to dpa information, a new military port for the navy is to be built in Emden on the North Sea. This has not yet been officially decided - an announcement is expected on Monday.
Then Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) is expected in East Frisia. Together with Lower Saxony's Prime Minister Olaf Lies (SPD), both want to "explain the next steps regarding a possible new naval base," as it says in an invitation to a press conference.
According to dpa information, the Navy is looking for an area of 40 hectares, with the option of an additional 10 hectares. The new naval port will provide berths for seven frigates, ten minesweepers and ten tugs. It is expected that a four-digit number of soldiers and civilian employees will work there. The only naval port on the North Sea to date is in Wilhelmshaven.
Pistorius sees a need for another naval port
During a visit to troops in East Frisia in mid-July, Defense Minister Pistorius emphasized the need for a second naval port on the German North Sea coast. “On the one hand, this is a question of security,” said the SPD politician at the time. In an emergency, Germany needs a second port in order to be able to escape and to ensure accessibility.
"And of course it's also about creating the capacities that are needed if, in an emergency, hundreds of thousands of Allies move through Germany with material and personnel and then have to land in Germany," said the Defense Minister.
Security expert: Another port creates resilience
Security experts believe that building another naval port is the right thing to do. “It makes sense to build another naval port on the North Sea, because so far we only have one there, Wilhelmshaven,” said Henrik Schilling, research associate at the Institute for Security Policy at the University of Kiel. “If this were to be impaired or destroyed in a conflict for whatever reason, then it would make sense to have a second port that could be used.”
Due to the planned expansion of the force and the new military service, the Bundeswehr will need more space overall, said expert Schilling.
Bremerhaven is also in the running
One area that would be considered for the new port in Emden would be the so-called Rysumer Neck, a port expansion area on the Ems west of the seaport city and owned by the state. The city of Emden, Lower Saxony's port infrastructure company NPorts and the state have been considering for years how the area can be used to further develop the port - so far there have been plans for civil use.
Bremerhaven had also recently had hopes for the naval port. A spokesman for the Bremen government recently emphasized that a military port could be built there quickly. There were plans to locate the naval port in the area of the fishing port. It was said that all the necessary preliminary investigations, planning documents and legally binding development plans were already available for the area.
Lower Saxony is promoting Emden
In the race to choose a location, the state government in Hanover recently promoted Emden. The construction of the naval port could also benefit from the so-called Bundeswehr Promotion Act, which the cabinet only recently initiated. The draft law proposes to reduce building and monument protection regulations in favor of measures for national and alliance defense. Planning and approval procedures are intended to be simplified and accelerated.
The NPorts boss also showed willingness for rapid construction. «We can do it, we have the confidence to do it. We have also communicated this to the federal government in several discussions,” said Holger Banik recently. However, he also announced that if a decision was made in favor of Emden, other port expansion projects already planned in the country would probably have to be postponed.
What the naval port would mean for East Frisia
For Emden, with its almost 50,000 residents, the commitment would mean a return to old roots. Until 1997 there was a Marian base in East Frisia's largest city. In addition, the former Nordseewerke - a shipyard where submarines were built - were long an important part of the armaments industry. In view of the uncertainties surrounding the preservation of the VW plant in the city, which is important for East Frisia, some see the new naval port as a benefit for the region.
“A naval base in Emden is not only a strong signal, but also a real opportunity for the region,” said the President of the IHK for East Frisia and Papenburg, Theo Eilers, just a few days ago. The new port would give the regional economy a structural and economic boost - and it could become a job driver for the region.
However, the plans for a new naval port are not entirely met with approval. There had already been small protests during the National Maritime Conference in Emden at the end of April. The Left in Emden rejects the plans. In a statement, the party recalled the devastating air raids in the Second World War, in which East Frisia's largest city was largely destroyed and thousands died. “Every further step towards a military base in Emden is a backwards wrong path that repeats the mistakes of history instead of learning from them,” it said.
Emden's mayor Tim Kruithoff (independent), who was recently re-elected with a large majority, is clearly in favor of a naval port. “With all the framework conditions we have, we are a predestined location for a naval base on the German North Sea coast. We have the areas and know how we can develop them for traffic,” the town hall boss told the dpa in April. “We certainly also have the skilled workers because we are currently experiencing a reduction in our traditional industries, such as Volkswagen.”
Kruithoff recently expected that up to 1,500 soldiers plus civilian employees could move to the city. “This is good for our regional economy, for gastronomy and retail. That would be an incredible deal for Emden, but also for the Krummhörn, in terms of secure jobs and added value. We would all feel how good it would be for urban society.”
