WATCH: Croatia’s €600m port transformation

The Gateway and it’s accompanying railway infrastructure is the result of a joint venture between APM Terminals and Enna Group, a Croatian investment company that focuses on renewable energy and logistics.

“Rijeka has a strategic advantage as first point of entry to central and South-Eastern Europe as well as being connected to fast inland services. And we hope soon to see a positive impact here in Croatia”, said Keith Svendsen, CEO of APM Terminals.

“It is our imperative that we do not only service shipping lines as a terminal operator: We service the communities and the country we operate in and who trust us with a part of their critical infrastructure. That is why we aim to work closely with local partners and authorities to ensure a long-term positive impact on growth, jobs and local economy.”

Grand plans

The inauguration event was attended by Croatian prime minister Andrej Plenković and Danish minister of Foreign Affairs Lars Løkke Rasmussen.

The Rijeka Gateway project has taken two years, with final testing in August and commercial operations beginning last month.

In the first phase of the Gateway project, 400 metres of quay was built to take 650,000 teu a year.

This will be expanded in a second phase to 680 metres of quay to accommodate more than 1 million teu a year within ten years.

Four remotely operated ship-to-shore cranes have been installed, 15 rubber-tyred gantry cranes, two rail-mounted gantry cranes, 28 terminal tractors and a remotely controlled centre to coordinate them all.

The terminal is run on electricity and sustainable fuels and all waste water is drained and purified before it is released into the sea.

Rijeka Gateway is included in the East-West network in the Gemini collaboration between Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd on the AE12/SE1 route, making it a key terminal on one of the world’s important shipping routes between Asia and Europe.