Following months of trial operations during the summer, the operational phase at the newly opened Rijeka Gateway Terminal at the Port of Rijeka in Croatia officially began with the arrival of its first commercial vessel earlier this week.
The first commercial vessel to berth at the terminal is Al Jasrah, a 368-metre container vessel operated by Germany’s Hapag-Lloyd. The ship arrived in Rijeka after having earlier departed Port Said in Egypt.
The Rijeka Gateway Terminal has been included in the Gemini Cooperation between Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd. Regular vessel calls are expected to strengthen Croatia’s connectivity to global supply chains and contribute to economic growth across the region.
Johan Sigsgaard, Chief Product Officer for Ocean at A.P. Moller – Maersk, said that the Rijeka Gateway Terminal offers direct access to Croatia and its hinterland, being strategically located on the country’s Adriatic coast.
The beginning of operations comes after two years of construction and equipping of the terminal, which represents the largest private investment in logistics in Croatia, being worth €380 million (US$450 million). This was the result of a joint venture between APM Terminals and Croatian logistics specialist the Enna Group.
In its first phase, the terminal features 400 metres of quay, a depth of 20 metres, and an annual capacity of 650,000 TEUs. Enna said that, after the planned expansion, this will grow to 680 metres of quay and a capacity of over one million TEUs.
