Kerteminde Mayor Michael Nielsen says he and the Social Democrats are ready to put all planning work for the expansion of Odense Harbour on hold unless the state commits to paying for new roads.
DR reported on August 31 that new calculations put the road bill at roughly 180 million kroner on the Kerteminde side alone. Nielsen, who represents the Conservative People’s Party, told DR there is no reason to move forward if the state will not commit itself.
Odense Harbour is owned by Odense Municipality, but it lies in Munkebo in Kerteminde Municipality. Kerteminde is therefore the planning authority for the project. The harbour produces components for the offshore wind industry and wants an expansion of one million square meters in Odense Fjord.
According to DR, the expansion is expected to bring more employees to the site and put added pressure on the local road network. Those costs are now documented in writing, which prompted the mayor’s reaction.
Nielsen told DR that a road bill of 180 million kroner would equal three years of the entire municipality’s capital budget. He said the figure has no basis in reality for Kerteminde. He also repeated that he has never been outright opposed to the expansion itself.
State commitment sought before September vote
The proposal to freeze the local plan work will be raised at the Kerteminde city council meeting in September, per DR. Nielsen and the Social Democrats are behind the move. He said he wants the state involved, and soon.
As reported by DR, Nielsen said the municipality has consistently been told that the state was willing to involve itself in the project. The reason given was that the state viewed Odense Harbour as significant for the green transition and for business. He now wants certainty about that promise.
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The harbour expansion was the dominant theme of the municipal election in November 2025, according to DR. It remains contested inside the council chamber and in the surrounding area. The city council in Kerteminde is divided on the question.
Small communities along Odense Fjord have protested against the plans. Residents of the village of Bregnør Fiskerleje are among the most prominent opponents. DR notes that they flew black flags during Fjordens Dag in 2025.
The mayor said he is ready to take the matter to Christiansborg if no commitment arrives. He described the road bill as the point where the project stops for Odense Harbour’s host municipality.
DR states that it has contacted Transport Minister Signe Munk of the Socialist People’s Party for a comment on the message from Kerteminde. No response from the minister was included in the report.
