The German Offshore Base in Cuxhaven (German: Deutsches Offshore-Industrie-Zentrum, DOIZ) is one of a kind in Germany. The seaport for seagoing vessels combines assembly, processing and logistics services and offers modern infrastructure especially developed for the demands of the offshore industry. This includes countless possibilities for expansion.
Due to its exposed position and proximity to the waters of the North Sea/the mouth of the Elbe, Cuxhaven's port offers business in the maritime and offshore industries the best possible conditions for ensuring efficient production and logistics processes. The port and logistics area, with a number of shipping options and specially designed for handling heavy-duty goods has been specifically optimised for use in offshore industry processes.
The multi-purpose terminal Cuxport with a collective wharf length of 270m and a water depth of 15.8m allows for servicing and handling of seagoing and specialised ships with large draughts. Meainwhile, the DOIZ in Cuxhaven is also implementing unique infrastructure for the production, assembly and shipping of wind-power components for the offshore industry. The heavy-duty platform at Cuxport is one of the sturdiest structures on the German North Sea coastline and is able to withstand the weight of a fully constructed offshore wind-power terminal (max. load bearing capacity 90 t/qm). Nearby heavy-duty terminals with RoRo ramps, various crane facilities and operational and storage areas, etc. have the range of port equipment necessary to handle offshore turbines or individual components such as bases, towers, nacelles, hubs or rotor blades. Special freighters, tugboats, pontoons and floating cranes of all kinds can dock at the wharfs.
Additional logistics areas for heavy-duty offshore and project loading (by road, rail, air and sea) are located right on the Elbe near the heavy-duty offshore terminal as well as at the nearby SeaAirport Cuxhaven/Nordholz (available for use 24/7/365) with North Germany's third-longest runway which is also suited for heavy-duty traffic.
The expansion of offshore wind-farms presents an enormous opportunity for the economy of Cuxhaven. There offers huge potential for the creation of new jobs and offers a variety of opportunities for using the offshore centre and the nearby business parks. These include the construction of large-scale facilities for the onshore and offshore industries, drive technology, vehicle manufacture, machine and plant engineering, heavy steel construction, ship-building and technical equipment for sea vessels.
It goes without saying that this will require an increased number of competent and highly-qualified workers but there are certainly enough professionals prepared to fill these positions. The city and district of Cuxhaven have worked together with the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit), regional educational institutions and schools and nearby offshore businesses to set up comprehensive initiatives for training prospective employees. Many funding and training programmes are supported and sponsored by the state of Lower Saxony through the Bundesagentur für Arbeit and the European Social Fund.
Since 2006, the state of Lower Saxony, the EU and the Cuxhaven Association for Port Development have invested over 250 million euros into improving infrastructure, both at ports and inland. As of 2018, the offshore industry had invested around 390 million euros into production facilities. The total amount invested stands at around 685 million euros.
Following the arrival of Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, Nordmark and a whole host of other distributors and service providers, the Cuxhaven offshore base has been renamed the German Centre for Offshore Industry in Cuxhaven (Deutsches Offshore-Industrie-Zentrum, DOIZ).
