Three ports want to tender for UNICEF warehouse

The Port of Kalundborg, the Port of Aalborg and the Port of Fredericia have had an analysis prepared by the renowned Kraka Economics, which concludes that Nordhavn is the ultimate most expensive location for UNICEF's new warehouse. If the project is put out to tender, it will have a socio-economic saving equivalent to life-saving food for up to 8,000 children over the next 30 years.

The Port of Kalundborg, in collaboration with Port of Aalborg A/S and Associated Danish Ports A/S, has had an analysis prepared by the renowned think tank Kraka Economics, which examines the optimal location of UNICEF's new warehouse based on six criteria with the aim of having the warehouse put out to open tender.

The analysis compares Nordhavn with the Port of Kalundborg, the Port of Aalborg and the Port of Fredericia based on six criteria for an optimal location for the new warehouse, including the economy, infrastructure, workforce and balance in Denmark. The analysis concludes that Nordhavn is only the best location within one of the criteria: access to the airport, and that a location in Nordhavn is also more than twice as expensive as the next most expensive location.

The savings from moving the warehouse away from Nordhavn could provide life-saving food for up to 8,000 children all year round for 30 years.

Based on the results of the analysis, the ports therefore recommend that the tender in Nordhavn be paused, that a thorough analysis of UNICEF's needs be carried out, and that an open tender be designed where the location of the warehouse is not limited to being in Copenhagen.

Disproportionately expensive inventory

The analysis results show that the location in Nordhavn is the absolute most expensive in terms of base rent with a price of DKK 277 per m.2, which is more than twice as high as the second most expensive location in Kalundborg Havn with a base rent of DKK 100 per m2.

Between 6,000 and 8,000 children could receive life-saving food all year round for the calculated savings if the warehouse were moved out of Copenhagen, according to the analysis. If the government and UNICEF choose to locate UNICEF's warehouse somewhere other than in Nordhavn and use the socio-economic savings on emergency aid, it could benefit thousands of children and could be realized every year for 30 years.

At the same time, the construction in Nordhavn will have a disproportionately high price per square meter compared to other modern warehouse constructions, as with a calculated price per square meter of DKK 48,300, it will be more than five times as expensive as the second most expensive warehouse construction.

Send inventory to open tender

Based on the results of the analysis, Kraka Economics therefore makes three recommendations to decision-makers with the support of the ports: That the tender in Nordhavn be paused, that a thorough analysis of UNICEF's actual needs be carried out, and that a new, open tender be made that is not limited to Copenhagen.