Fairway deepening at Gothenberg

Gothenburg City Council has passed a resolution to grant more than 1,2 billion kronor (€120,000,000) to finance the Skandia Gateway project which will allow the port to receive larger ships and making calls more efficient and climate friendly.

“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 Elvir Dzanic, CEO, Port of Gothenburg.

Competitiveness

Mr Dzanic said that 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 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.

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

The cost of the project is estimated to be around 2.5 billion kronor and hopes to achieve a draught of 17.5 metres.

The sum granted by the council has been matched by the Swedish Transport Administration as part of the national infrastructure plan.

With funding now in place, the three organisations can move forward and enter into an implementation agreement for this much sought-after project.