Financing has been secured for a project that aims to deepen the fairway at a Swedish port to enable it to accommodate fully loaded mega-ships.

Gothenburg City Council passed a resolution to grant more than €120,000,000 to finance the Skandia Gateway project to deepen the fairway leading into the Port of Gothenburg from 13.5m to 17.5m maximum draught, enabling ships of up to 430m long to pass through fully loaded. The sum was matched by the Swedish Transport Administration as part of the national infrastructure plan, and as a result the project is fully funded.

“This is the most important port project in Sweden this century. Gothenburg has been the logistics capital of Scandinavia for 400 years and following this decision it is set to consolidate and build on that position for the next 400 years,” said Elvir Dzanic, Gothenburg Port Authority chief executive.

2026 completion

A joint project being run by the Gothenburg Port Authority, the Swedish Maritime Administration, and the Swedish Transport Administration, Skandia Gateway anticipates commencement of quay reinforcement in 2022, dredging in 2024 and joint completion in 2026.

Direct services to and from the Port of Gothenburg across the oceans of the world without the need for transshipment are vitally important if Swedish companies are to reach global markets in a way that is both climate-friendly and cost-effective, said the port. However, as ships continue to grow in size and require a deeper draught, development of the fairway is crucial. At present the very largest ships can only call at the Port of Gothenburg half loaded, and the ships that are required to keep pace with global maritime expansion are becoming bigger by the year.

“This is a race where we need to keep up if we are to maintain our position as a major international port here in Sweden. Without the largest ships the port will be marginalised, forcing many Swedish companies into using inefficient alternatives that are damaging to the environment and with a resulting loss of competitiveness,” said Mr Dzanic.

With funding now in place, the three organisations can move forward and enter into an implementation agreement.
Source: Port Strategy (https://www.portstrategy.com/news101/world/europe/green-light-for-mega-ships-at-swedish-port)