EIB Grants SEK 850M to Boost Gothenburg Port Capacity Through Skandia Gateway

The Port of Gothenburg is the largest port in the Nordic region and the only Scandinavian port offering direct deep-sea shipping services to global destinations.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is providing 850 million Swedish kronor (approximately €77.5 million) to the Port of Gothenburg to finance Skandia Gateway, a major infrastructure upgrade designed to deepen the port’s fairway and reinforce key quays. The initiative will enable the world’s largest ocean-going container vessels to call fully loaded, strengthening Sweden’s trade competitiveness and supporting greener, more efficient transport routes.

The project is a collaboration between the Swedish Transport Administration, the Swedish Maritime Administration, and the Port of Gothenburg, marking one of the most important maritime investments in Scandinavia’s recent history.

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Strengthening Northern Europe’s Largest Port

The Port of Gothenburg is the largest port in the Nordic region and the only Scandinavian port offering direct deep-sea shipping services to global destinations. Nearly one-third of Sweden’s foreign trade—equivalent to 39 million tonnes of goods annually—moves through this strategic hub.

Currently, the port’s fairway and harbour basin are too shallow to accommodate the heaviest container vessels at full draft, forcing lines to reduce cargo volumes or reroute vessels to ports in northern Europe. This reduces efficiency and increases transport emissions.

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What Skandia Gateway Will Deliver

Skandia Gateway aims to remove these limitations by:

• Deepening the fairway by four metres

• Reinforcing and upgrading approximately 700 metres of quay infrastructure

• Conducting extensive dredging operations

• Installing a new crane beam and constructing a new quay front

• Adding erosion protection measures

• Upgrading navigation safety systems, including lighting and fairway markings

Construction is scheduled to begin in August 2026, with the upgrades designed to future-proof the port for decades of growing trade flows.

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Supporting EU Climate and Transport Priorities

EIB Vice-President Karl Nehammer highlighted the project’s importance for European logistics and climate action: “Gothenburg Port is essential for keeping Sweden connected to global trade flows. By financing Skandia Gateway, we are strengthening Europe’s transport connectivity, reducing emissions and making international maritime transport more efficient.”

The upgrades will reduce the need for cargo to be diverted to other northern European ports, which often requires lengthy road transport across the continent. This will:

• Cut CO₂ emissions

• Reduce congestion

• Improve supply chain reliability

• Lower overall transport costs for Swedish industry

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A Strategic Boost for Sweden’s Global Competitiveness

Port of Gothenburg Project Manager Jan Andersson emphasized the long-term value of Skandia Gateway: “This is an extremely important project—essential for maintaining and developing Sweden’s trade with the world and preserving Gothenburg’s status as an international hub. It immediately increases port capacity while strengthening the competitiveness of Swedish industry.”

The investment comes at a time when global maritime transport is shifting toward increasingly larger vessels that require deeper, more resilient infrastructure.

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Part of the EU’s TEN-T Core Transport Network

The project contributes directly to the development of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), the EU’s flagship framework for creating efficient, safe, and sustainable transport corridors across Europe. As part of the TEN-T core network, the Port of Gothenburg plays a critical role in ensuring seamless trade flows linking northern Europe with global markets.

Skandia Gateway will ensure the port remains a central node in the continent’s logistics chain while supporting the EU’s long-term climate and transport ambitions.