The Swedish Maritime Administration and the Port of Gothenburg Corporation are proceeding with the Skandia Gateway or Skandiaporten project following a redesign of the fairway. This optimisation resulted in lower costs after a joint procurement process was cancelled in October 2025.
The Gothenburg Port Authority noted that the procurement has been split into two separate parts to maintain the schedule for quay reinforcements. Port of Gothenburg Project Manager Jan Andersson mentioned that dredging and rock excavation next to the quay will begin in the autumn of 2026.
The Swedish Maritime Administration will manage the dredging work and edge lighthouse installations in the fairway, with implementation scheduled for 2027 to 2028. These adjustments follow a period where bids received in late 2025 exceeded estimated cost levels.
By narrowing selected sections and reducing the dredged area, the authorities maintained the fairway depth at 16.5 metres. There remains an option to deepen the channel to 17.5 metres to accommodate larger vessels.
Jenny Röström Wicander, Project Manager at the Swedish Maritime Administration, noted that technical simulations and market dialogue allowed for cost reductions. She explained that these targeted adjustments provide a stable basis for the current procurement phase.
Infrastructure Director at the Swedish Maritime Administration Joel Smith explained that the optimisation provides significant savings while maintaining safety. He noted that every effort was made to, “ensure the greatest possible benefit per invested krona”.
The project budget was increased to implement these optimised measures, which include a lowered wind limit for arriving vessels. The Swedish Maritime Administration stated that it expects to sign a contract with a contractor in early 2027.
Dredging operations are scheduled to commence in August 2027, and the project is expected to be completed by the end of 2028 according to the authorities. Smith remarked that the ambition remains for the new fairway and quay to be operational by that year.
Currently, the depth of the fairway limits the ability of large ships to call at Gothenburg while fully loaded. This collaboration between the Swedish Maritime Administration, the Swedish Transport Administration, and the Gothenburg Port Authority aims to modernise the port for larger vessels.
