The Swedish Maritime Administration and the Port of Luleå have awarded a joint dredging contract to Malmporten Dredging Contractors for Sweden's largest dredging initiative, the Malmporten project.
The contract, which the joint parties plan to sign on June 30, is valued at SEK5.7 billion ($610 million) and must be completed by August 15, 2030. Under the current schedule, dredging operations are planned to begin in the spring of 2027 and run through the ice-free seasons of 2027 to 2029.
The initiative involves removing approximately 14 million cubic metres of material to allow the Port of Luleå to accommodate vessels with a draft of up to 14.7 metres.
This development follows a previous procurement process that was cancelled in September 2025, after which the project team optimised the fairway design and scope.
Highlighting the regional significance of the work, Luleå Port Chief Executive Officer Anders Dahl noted that the expanded capacity is necessary to support the local mining and steel industries.
The European Union has designated Luleå as a strategically prioritised port, co-funding the development through the Trans-European Transport Network.
Spanning 2018 to 2029 under a national transport plan, the project is a joint collaboration between Luleå Hamn, Luleå Municipality, the Swedish Maritime Administration, and the Swedish Transport Administration.
