Rijeka Gateway opens: North Adriatic's new logistics gateway to Europe

The Rijeka Gateway container terminal in Rijeka was officially handed over on Wednesday. At the opening ceremony, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic described the project as one of Croatia's most significant logistics and infrastructure investments, emphasising that it is a model example of cooperation between the state and the private sector in the development of critical infrastructure.

„This investment is part of the government's broader modernisation policy, which aims to integrate Croatia closely into the core of the European Union and to implement a policy of modern sovereignty,” said the Prime Minister.

In its first phase, the terminal will have a 400-metre quay and an annual capacity of 650,000 container units (TEU), which will be expanded to 680 metres and more than one million TEU in the second phase.

The total investment value of Rijeka Gateway exceeds €380 million, while the total value of the project, including the associated road and rail infrastructure, reaches €600 million.

The investment is being jointly financed by the Dutch company Apm Terminals and the Croatian Enna Group in both phases. The terminal will employ a total of 300 people, and the project will have a significant economic impact on the region and Croatia as a whole.

New logistics opportunities

In his speech, the Prime Minister also pointed out that large-scale investments in the region are also in line with this direction, including the LNG terminal on the island of Krk, which has significantly increased energy security and diversified supply routes. He added that significant resources had also been allocated to the construction of the D-403 expressway, which connects the port to the motorway network. Modern rail links are essential for efficient freight transport, which is why this will be the next step in the development of the country's transport infrastructure, he said.

At the opening ceremony, it was emphasised that:

The container terminal in Rijeka and the transport corridors leading to Central Europe significantly reduce freight transport times compared to northern European ports. Croatia's strategic advantage stems from its geographical and geopolitical position, as it lies at the intersection of three important European transport corridors.

From nothing to something in three years

Peter Corfitsen, CEO of Rijeka Gateway, called the opening day historic. „In three years, the region's most modern container terminal has been built from scratch with the support of shareholders and local and national politicians. Our goal is to become one of the best terminals in the APM network,” he said.

Denis Vukorepa, head of the Rijeka Port Authority, emphasised that the project is the largest and most important investment in the port's history. In the second phase, the operational quay will be extended, increasing annual throughput capacity to 1.1 million TEU.

21 cranes, 28 terminal tractors

The facility was built using state-of-the-art technology: four remote-controlled STS ship cranes, 15 RTG cranes on rubber wheels, two rail-mounted RMG cranes and 28 terminal tractors serve the operations. Operations are supervised by a central control centre, and the terminal is the first in Croatia to use a private industrial 5G network. Fully automated operation is achieved through the use of renewable energy sources, making this the first terminal of its kind in the Adriatic region.