Skandia Gateway quay reinforcement completed; dredging to begin

The Skandia Gateway project at the Port of Gothenburg has seen significant progress with the completion of quay reinforcement works on schedule and within budget. This marks a crucial milestone in preparing the container terminal to handle larger vessels with deeper draughts starting from 2028/2029.

Reinforcement completed, dredging begins

The reinforcement of the south quay at Gothenburg's container terminal was carried out by NCC over more than two years. This extensive work has now been finalized on schedule and within budget, as reported by Container News (2026-10-13) and Hellenic Shipping News (2026-10-12).

Following the quay reinforcement, blasting and dredging are set to commence. According to Ports Europe (2026-10-13), Boskalis Sweden will begin these works on October 13, 2026, targeting a completion date of March 2027. The project aims to remove over 200,000 cubic meters of soft dredged material and about 30,000 cubic meters of rock.

Technical specifications and design considerations

The area closest to the quay is being prepared for vessels with a maximum draught of 17.5 meters, enhancing capacity to accommodate larger container ships as part of Skandia Gateway. Hellenic Shipping News (2026-10-12) outlines that these vessels will be 30 meters longer and five meters wider than current operations, with deeper draughts.

The Skandia Gateway project is also a collaborative effort involving the Port of Gothenburg, NCC, Boskalis Sweden, and the Swedish Maritime Administration. The latter is currently procuring additional blasting and dredging works for the fairway and turning basin, as well as navigation modifications (Baird Maritime 2026-10-12).

Operational implications

The completion of this phase signifies a significant upgrade to Gothenburg's capacity. Elin Dörrheide, Project Manager for quay reinforcement within Skandia Gateway at the Port of Gothenburg, stated: "This is an important milestone for Skandia Gateway. We have completed a major and technically complex quay project." (Hellenic Shipping News 2026-10-12).

Operators can now anticipate the arrival of larger vessels with deeper draughts from late 2028, which will require adjustments in berth usage, ship handling, and port infrastructure. The deepened waterways are expected to bring increased efficiency and potentially higher throughput for the port.

What this means for operators

The enhanced capacity at Gothenburg's container terminal will impact a range of maritime operations. Ship operators must update their vessel size considerations, potentially requiring new or larger vessels designed for deeper draughts. Berth allocation and scheduling may need to be adjusted to accommodate the longer and wider ships. Additionally, port services such as cranes, tugboats, and storage facilities may require corresponding upgrades.

This project underscores the ongoing focus on expanding infrastructure to meet growing demand in the global container trade, particularly with environmental regulations driving vessel size increases.