Skandia Gateway quay reinforcement completed on schedule and within budget – dredging set to begin

Following more than two years of extensive work, the reinforcement of the south quay at the container terminal at the Port of Gothenburg has been completed on schedule and within budget. The Skandia Gateway project will now enter its next major phase, with blasting and dredging works closest to the quay commencing on 13 October.

Since spring 2024, NCC has carried out extensive reinforcement works along the westernmost 700 metres of the container terminal’s south quay. The quay reinforcement is a central part of Skandia Gateway and is essential to deepening the area closest to the quay, enabling larger container vessels with deeper draughts to call at the port from the turn of 2028/2029.

The work has now been completed on schedule and within the budget set for the contract.

“This is an important milestone for Skandia Gateway. We have completed a major and technically complex quay project. This achievement is the result of excellent collaboration between everyone involved. Above all, it means that we can now move ahead with the next phase of the project as planned,” says Elin Dörrheide, Project Manager for quay reinforcement within Skandia Gateway at the Port of Gothenburg.

Dredging begins in October
On 13 October, Boskalis Sweden will begin the blasting and dredging works for which the Port of Gothenburg is responsible. The works will cover the first 50 metres of water alongside the westernmost 700 metres of the south quay.

More than 200,000 cubic metres of soft dredged material and approximately 30,000 cubic metres of rock will be removed. The area closest to the quay is being designed to accommodate vessels with a maximum draught of 17.5 metres. The works are expected to be completed in March 2027.

The next major piece soon to be in place
In parallel, the Swedish Maritime Administration is procuring the considerably more extensive blasting and dredging works in the fairway and turning basin, as well as modifications to the navigational aids. The Swedish Maritime Administration plans to sign a contract for this part of the project in early 2027.

Skandia Gateway is being designed to accommodate container vessels up to 430 metres long and 65 metres wide. These vessels will be 30 metres longer and five metres wider, with draughts of up to four metres deeper than those currently calling at the container terminal.

Targeting operations before 2029
Work in the fairway and turning basin is scheduled to begin in August 2027. The shared ambition of the Port of Gothenburg and the Swedish Maritime Administration is for the new fairway and quay to become operational before the end of 2028.

This timetable is strategically important for Swedish industry. Several of Europe’s major container ports face constraints in terms of both water depth and available capacity. Skandia Gateway will create better conditions for the world’s largest container vessels to call at Gothenburg, enabling more goods to move directly between Sweden and global markets.

“Skandia Gateway is an investment for many decades to come. Completing an important phase on schedule and within budget, while simultaneously moving ahead with the next, demonstrates that the project is making strong progress. Once Skandia Gateway is complete, we will further strengthen our capacity and competitiveness and create even better conditions for Swedish industry to reach global markets,” says Elin Dörrheide.