What is Odense Dry Port?
Odense Dry Port will be a new logistics hub, located between Odense and Årslev, just 20 minutes from Odense Port. The project covers an area of around 1.1 million m² and, in the first phase, will be able to accommodate up to 200,000 m² of buildings for storage and logistics. When the logistics and transport center is fully completed, it is expected that 600,000 m² of halls will be available.
The purpose of the project is to move warehousing and logistics activities away from the central port areas in Munkebo, so that the harbor area can increasingly be used for industrial purposes, including the production of components for sectors such as wind energy.
Resilience in Supply Chains
With Odense Dry Port, Odense Port aims to contribute to a more resilient supply chain. Experiences from recent years, including the pandemic, geopolitical conflicts, and bottlenecks such as the Suez Canal, have shown how vulnerable international supply routes can be. By establishing larger warehouses closer to production sites, companies will have better opportunities to secure the supply of critical components.
Citizens’ questions and concerns
Among the residents who attended, the overall atmosphere was positive. Many could see the potential of the project and the opportunities it could create for local development and employment. At the same time, traffic issues dominated much of the dialogue.
Several citizens pointed to challenges on larger nearby roads and the motorway exit at Årslev, where traffic is already under pressure during rush hours. Questions focused on how a logistics center with many daily transports would affect the area.
Odense Port responded that traffic conditions would be analyzed in cooperation with municipalities and the Danish Road Directorate, and that solutions would fall within municipal and state responsibility. Experiences from similar projects, such as in Taulov, show that the establishment of a dry port can help spur investments in road network upgrades and surrounding infrastructure.
A constructive evening
The meeting showed that there is great interest and local commitment to the project. Many citizens expressed that they can see the benefits of developing the area, but at the same time they want the local challenges, especially with traffic, to be taken seriously and dealt with seriously.
Stig Haumann Langsager, project manager at Odense Port, who participated in the dialogue round, noted:
“Most of the citizens are looking forward to the project because it will bring positive development to the area. But concerns about traffic are entirely natural, and this is something that must be addressed jointly with the municipalities.”
Hearing Process: Everyone Can Have Their Say
The public meeting marks the start of the public consultation phase, during which citizens can submit ideas and suggestions for the planning.
If you would like to submit your ideas as consultation responses, they can be sent via the consultation portal: www.odense.dk/høring. Deadline for consultation responses: October 9, 2025.