Some 70% of Swedish exports take place by sea, and the Port of Gothenburg is the only port in Scandinavia that can offer direct services to other parts of the world using the largest deep-sea cargo vessels. To assure access to the world for Swedish industry in the future, the fairway needs to be deepened by up to four metres, and the harbour basin and quays need to be deepened and reinforced.

Below are just some of the benefits to be gained from deepening the fairway:

• Direct shipping offers Swedish industry access to a rapid, dependable means of transportation that is both cost-effective and sustainable.

• By deepening and broadening the fairways and strengthening the quays we can assure Swedish industry and Sweden as a nation that direct shipping will continue.

• Direct calls mean the largest cargo vessels can enter the port fully loaded. Not only is this more sustainable, it also ensures the future development of the merchant fleet.

• Half of Sweden’s container trade passes through the Port of Gothenburg.

• Cargo worth billions of kronor is handled at the port every year. The Port of Gothenburg is the primary transit point for 30 per cent of Swedish exports.
  
  

Why does the fairway need to be deepened?

The global merchant fleet has grown at a rate no one could have anticipated when the fairway was last deepened. In just 15 years, the capacity of container vessels has increased by 50% and even larger vessels are already on the drawing board. Deep-sea vessels capable of carrying over 20,000 containers call at the Port of Gothenburg on a regular basis but are currently unable to do so fully loaded due to the present depth of the fairway. The focal points in the Skandia Gateway investment are deepening of the harbour basin and reinforcement of the quays to ensure several deep-sea vessels can be handled at the same time.

After consultation and preparation of documentation for the permit application, it was submitted for review by the Land and Environment Court on December 22, 2020. The documentation for the application was prepared jointly by the Maritime Administration and the Port of Gothenburg.

On June 1-3, the main negotiations were held in The Land and Environmental Court, Gothenburg.

On October 20, 2022, the Port of Gothenburg received a legally binding environmental judgment for its part of the project, and the Swedish Maritime Administration received the equivalent for its part on March 6, 2023. The Port of Gothenburg's part includes quay reinforcement and the Swedish Maritime Administration's part dredging. moving dredged masses. and construction of beacons in new locations.

Environmental permit has been obtained. Strengthening of Skandia harbour can be carried out in two phases.

During January and February 2024, NCC formed a work organization and built workplaces for approximately 100 people in Skandiahamnen. After that, the work on wharf measures started.

Phase one

The first phase, the Western Quay, involves includes strengthening and reconstruction of approx. 700 m of quay which includes excavation of 15,000 square metres of earth and rock at the terminal, sinking 1 500 piles, and creating a 500-metre extension of the crane beam for the largest container cranes. This will be followed by backfilling and the creation of new land area at the terminal. Existing sheet piling at the quayside will be replaced with new, more powerful piling, an area of 50 metres from the quayside will be dredged, and the harbour basin will be protected against erosion.

The work shall be carried out in a partnering arrangement, where NCC was awarded the contract on July 1, 2020, following a procurement process in the spring of 2020. After completing the detailed planning, in November 2022, the parties agreed to continue the project and move into the implementation phase. However, the start of implementation is conditional on the EU Commission's assessment of whether Skandiaporten constitutes unfair state aid or not. The process is ongoing, and a decision is expected in the fall of 2023. A positive notification received on 27 November 2023.

The Western Quay Location received approval for financing from the municipal board and municipal council in September 2022. This was granted after the municipal board and municipal council in Gothenburg approved the conditions outlined in a previously drafted memorandum of understanding between the Swedish Transport Administration, the Swedish Maritime Administration, and the Port of Gothenburg AB.

The budget for the entire project is SEK 2.8 billion (2017 cost situation), of which the Port of Gothenburg (Gothenburg municipality) accounts for SEK 1.255 billion. The Port of Gothenburg has previously also been notified of EU support for parts of the project via the Connecting Europe Facilities fund.

Following the completion of detailed planning and pricing of the work to be carried out, it has been determined that allocated funds remain.

Phase two

No decisions have been made regarding when the second part, the Eastern Quay Location, can be implemented, and no financial resources have been allocated either. NCC has an option to carry out the Eastern Quay Location as well, should it be implemented.

The Swedish Maritime Administration is responsible for all fairway measures within the project, which include deepening the fairway up to 50 metres from the Port of Gothenburg’s quay, as well as adapting all fairway markings. The procurement of a contractor is currently underway, and the plan is to begin dredging during 2027. The new fairway is expected to be operational by the turn of the year 2028/2029.

For more information about the fairway measures, please refer to the Swedish Maritime Administration’s website.

Procurement of dredging contractor

The procurement of a dredging contractor for the Skandia Gateway project is currently underway, with the objective of signing the contract in February 2027.

©SKANDIA GATEWAY 2020

The Port of Gothenburg is the only port in Sweden that can receive the world’s largest vessels. At present they are unable to do so fully loaded. To address this problem and ensure Swedish industry is able to meet the demands of the future, extensive deepening of the fairway is required. The project, known as Skandia Gateway, is being run jointly by the Swedish Maritime Administration and the Port of Gothenburg.