New terminal to strengthen Gothenburg as Nordic logistics capital

The Port of Gothenburg is the largest port in the Nordic region. 30 per cent of Swedish foreign trade passes through the Port as well as half of all container traffic.

The Port of Gothenburg is the only port in Sweden with the capacity to receive the world’s largest container vessels and has the broadest range of shipping routes within and outside Europe.

The 25 rail shuttles that depart each day mean that companies throughout Sweden and Norway have a direct, environmentally smart link to the largest port in the Nordic region.

The Port has terminals for oil, cars, ro-ro, containers and passengers.

At the moment, 180.000 cubic meters of dredged material are being reused as filling material in the construction of the Port’s next major investment.

When the masses have been stabilized and solidified and further surface work have been completed, 140,000 square meters of new, long-awaited terminal space, will be available.

The largest port expansion in Gothenburg since the 1970s is moving forward at the Port of Gothenburg.

The terminal will be 140,000 square meters in size (equivalent to approximately 20 football pitches) and will be directly adjacent to other major terminals at the port.

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“The terminal is a crucial aspect of the port’s long-term expansion plans and will further strengthen Gothenburg as the Nordic logistics capital. By almost exclusively using recycled material in the project, we are also able to expand with environmental consideration” said Joakim Grenmarker, Project Manager at the Gothenburg Port Authority.

Construction of the brand-new terminal at the Port of Gothenburg got under way in autumn 2018.

Since then, 1,500 piles have been sinked into the bedrock, and the Arendal bay has been embanked with blasting stones from an adjacent hill.

The embanked bay will constitute the coming terminal area. But first, the embanked bay will be filled with about 180,000 cubic meters of contaminated dredging spoils, and that work is currently underway.

When the material fills the basin, water is forced out and needs to be purified and checked before it is returned to the sea.

“This is done by adding carbon dioxide to the water from the backfill basin, which lowers the PH value so that pollutants can precipitate,” said Kristina Bernstén, Environmental Engineer at the Gothenburg Port Authority.

“The water is then pumped on to a sedimentation basin and on to a sand and active carbon filter. We examine and send water for analysis once a week to ensure that the water is ready to be pumped into the sea.”

The terminal is expected to be completed by 2023, although certain sections might be brought into use before then.

In September, Gothenburg City Council passed a resolution to grant more than 1,2 billion kronor (€120,000,000) to finance the Skandia Gateway project, which is aimed at deepening the fairway leading into the Port of Gothenburg.

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.

The three parties now have a firm basis for entering into an implementation agreement.

“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.

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.

However, as ships continue to grow in size and require a deeper draught, development of the fairway is crucial.

At the moment, 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 marginalized, forcing many Swedish companies into using inefficient alternatives that are damaging to the environment and with a resulting loss of competitiveness,” said Dzanic.

Skandia Gateway is a joint project being run by the Gothenburg Port Authority, the Swedish Maritime Administration, and the Swedish Transport Administration.

• Planned deepening: From 13.5 to 17.5 metres maximum draught.
  

• Model vessel: Length 430 m, beam 65 m, and a maximum draught of 17.5 m.
  

• Cost: 2.5 billion kronor.
  

• Funding: Government (Swedish Transport Administration): 1.255 billion kronor. Local authority (City of Gothenburg): up to 1.255 billion kronor.
  

• Socioeconomic benefit: One krona invested will produce four kronor in return (according to the National Infrastructure Plan for 2018-2029).
  

• Dredging requirements: Approximately 12 million cubic meters.
  

• Construction process: Commencement of quay reinforcement – 2022, Dredging – 2024, Joint completion – 2026.