Port of Koper calls for bids for container terminal expansion

The Port of Koper is pressing ahead with its container terminal expansion, having revealed that it has initiated the public procurement process for the northern extension of Pier I.

The port said this will be one of the “most important projects for Luka Koper in the coming years.”

The €100 million investment will finance the construction of 326 metres of quayside, 7 hectares of stacking and handling areas, as well as necessary dredging and supporting power infrastructure.

The new quay extension will be built with a reinforced concrete frame supported by transverse, longitudinal, and rail girders anchored to piles. A concrete slab will be laid over the girders, with crane rails for STS cranes with a 30m rail gauge.

According to the timetable, construction is expected to begin early next year, with completion anticipated by the end of 2027.

The construction will be followed by installing STS cranes and redeveloping existing storage areas to boost the annual handling capacity of the container terminal to 1.75 million TEU from the current 1.5 million TEU.

The deadline for submitting bids is September 30.

In 2022, the Port of Koper completed a major expansion of the southern section of Pier I. Construction began in mid-2020 with a €45.6 million investment, partly funded by the EU’s NAPA4CORE/Connecting Europe Facility project. By 2021, the port had unveiled a 98.5-metre-long quayside and two super post-Panamax cranes, boosting the marine terminal’s stacking capacity by 15%.

Last year, the port rolled out a strategic business plan for 2024 to 2028, which includes a € 785 million investment in infrastructure and capacity expansion. Key projects involve building infrastructure for shore-to-ship electricity supply, accelerating digital transformation, and replacing diesel machinery with electrified equipment. The port also aims to attract ships with lower emissions by offering reduced port dues for cleaner vessels.