Qaqortoq Airport project: Logistics for a remote Arctic construction site

A project defined by access and conditions

The airport site in Qaqortoq is accessible only by marine transport. This meant that all equipment, materials and supporting infrastructure had to be planned, transported and delivered in line with construction progress.

At the same time, local conditions shaped the logistics setup:

• No berth access for large vessels
• Limited port infrastructure
• Arctic weather conditions affecting operations

These factors required a solution where marine transport, port handling and site logistics were closely integrated.

Structuring the logistics scope

The logistics scope was developed to support a continuous construction process over several years.

From May 2022 to December 2025, the project included four full-vessel charter shipments (12,000 DWT), two mobilization phases and two demobilization phases, as well as the transport of all construction equipment and materials from Canada.

In addition, more than 10,000 cbm of cargo from Europe was incorporated into the overall supply chain and coordinated alongside the main shipments to support GIP’s construction activities.

A key requirement throughout was ensuring that cargo arrived in the correct sequence, allowing construction activities to proceed without interruption.

“Being a remote site accessible only by marine transportation, mobilization and demobilization required careful planning and execution.”
Jeff Reid, Senior Project Manager, Green Infrastructure Partners Inc.

Offshore operations and cargo handling

Due to draft limitations, vessels could not berth at the port in Qaqortoq and were instead anchored offshore.

Cargo operations were therefore carried out using barge shuttle systems between vessel and shore.

This setup required coordinated barge movements between vessel and port, controlled lifting operations under changing conditions and continuous alignment between discharge sequences and on-site requirements.

With multiple interfaces between vessel crews, barge operations and site teams, maintaining flow depended on clear communication and precise timing.

“This project required coordination across multiple interfaces and under changing conditions.”
Jens Dahl, Project Manager, Blue Water 

Planning under changing conditions

Operations were planned within the constraints of Arctic conditions, where weather and sea state directly influenced execution.

To manage this, cargo operations were continuously adapted based on available weather windows, while planning remained flexible to accommodate delays or changes. Close coordination ensured that any adjustments could be implemented without affecting overall progress.

Given the remote location, there was limited opportunity to correct or replace shipments. This increased the importance of planning accuracy and sequencing.

Coordination across interfaces

The logistics setup required coordination across multiple operational interfaces, including ocean transport, offshore handling, port operations and on-site logistics.

Each part of the operation depended on alignment between these activities, both in planning and execu-tion, as well as early coordination during the solution development phase.

“From early dialogue and solution development through to execution, maintaining alignment across all stages has been important to achieving the final result.”
Thomas Albrechtsen, Business Development Manager, North Atlantic, Blue Water 

On-site execution

On-site coordination played a central role in managing the interface between transport and construction.

Blue Water acted as supervisors during discharge operations in Qaqortoq, ensuring that cargo handling followed agreed procedures and sequencing.

This included:

• Coordination between vessel, barge and site teams
• Oversight of lifting operations and cargo flow
• Continuous alignment with client requirements

“Establishing a workable setup and maintaining alignment throughout has been central to the process.”
Jens Dahl, Project Manager, Blue Water

Working with complex project logistics

Projects like Qaqortoq highlight how logistics becomes an integrated part of construction in remote environments. Rather than a separate function, transport, handling and site coordination must work together to support progress on site. This requires planning across interfaces, adaptability during execution and a clear understanding of how logistics and construction activities are connected.