First commercial ship at the new terminal in the Port of Rijeka
September 10, 2025 – A big day for the Port of Rijeka, the Rijeka traffic route and the entire port and transport system of Croatia. In the early morning hours in the Port of Rijeka, the first commercial ship with a capacity of 15,000 TEU was moored at the new container terminal Rijeka Gateway.
On this occasion, Rijeka Gateway organized a press conference at 12:00, which solemnly marked the beginning of the operational phase of one of the largest and most significant port infrastructure projects in the Republic of Croatia.
The conference was attended by the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia and Minister of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure Oleg Butković, Executive Director of the Port of Rijeka Authority Denis Vukorepa and representatives of the concessionaire Rijeka Gateway – CEO Peter Corfitsen, CFO Tomislav Rosandić and Johan Sigsgaard, Chief Product Officer for Ocean at A.P. Moller – Maersk.
The Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia and Minister of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure Oleg Butković emphasized that the arrival of the first ship at the new terminal is a historic moment for both Rijeka and Croatia. He emphasized that the path to the realization of the project was demanding, but it was successfully completed on time and without any delays. At this stage, the terminal has an annual capacity of 650,000 TEU units and opens a completely new chapter for Rijeka’s traffic and economy.
Denis Vukorepa, Executive Director of the Port of Rijeka Authority, emphasized that as of today, a new, sustainable, “green” and technologically most advanced container terminal in this part of Europe is in operation in the Port of Rijeka. When we signed the concession agreement with the Rijeka Gateway company in November 2021, we gained a strong and financially strong concessionaire. An experienced global terminal operator focused on sustainable development has brought major investments to our port system and, for all of us, valuable and priceless “know-how”, emphasized the Executive Director.
This is a complex joint investment project of the Croatian Government and the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure, the Port of Rijeka Authority, HŽ Infrastruktura, Croatian Roads and the concessionaire Rijeka Gateway. The project, worth around EUR 600 million, includes investments in port and transport infrastructure, including the construction of the pier, roads, railway interface and state-of-the-art terminal equipment. The concessionaire alone will invest around EUR 380 million in the terminal over two phases. The concessionaire’s total investment in the terminal over two phases amounts to around EUR 380 million and has created 250 jobs so far.
The arrival of the container ship Al Jasrah, 368 metres long and 51 metres wide, marks the beginning of the operational phase of the largest private logistics investment in Croatia – the 380 million EUR terminal, jointly developed by APM Terminals and ENNA Group. In this phase, the terminal’s capacity is 650,000 TEU per year, and upon completion of the second phase, it will exceed one million TEU. The Rijeka deep sea terminal, with a sea depth of 20 metres, can currently service ships of 18,000 TEU, and after the expansion, ships of up to 24,000 TEU. The terminal is equipped with state-of-the-art technology; with four STS super post panamax cranes, 15 RTGs, two RMG cranes and 28 terminal tractors, all connected to a centralized control system. The terminal uses renewable energy sources and automated processes, making it the first automated and sustainable container terminal in the Adriatic region.
Rijeka Gateway Container Terminal is included in the Gemini cooperation between Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd, on the EA12 line, making Rijeka a key terminal on one of the world’s most important shipping routes. Regular ship arrivals are expected to strengthen Croatia’s connection to global supply chains and contribute to the economic growth of the entire region.
