Gothenburg Port Expansion Kicks Off

After years of planning and preparation, construction of an entirely new terminal in the outer area of the Swedish Port of Gothenburg has started.

The project will be the largest expansion undertaking at the Port of Gothenburg in 40 years.

Phase 1 started with piling earlier in the week. The 220,000 square meter terminal will be constructed using dredge spoils contained by an embankment, and is scheduled for completion around 2025.

“It feels very exciting indeed that we can finally break ground in the biggest development project at the port since the 1970s. The terminal is a vital part of the long-term expansion plans at the port, and it will reinforce Gothenburg even further as the logistics capital of the Nordic region,” said Magnus Karestedt, Gothenburg Port Authority chief executive.

The terminal, which will cover an area of 220,000 square meters, will be built using 350,000 cubic meters of dredge spoils from the river, the Göta Älv.

The spoils derive from routine dredging carried out to maintain the water depth. Both the dredge spoils and the river are contaminated with various substances, including TBT, tributyltin.

Up until 2008, TBT was an antibiocide component in antifouling paints used for the hulls of ships and boats before research showed that it was toxic to the marine environment.

The spoils are placed in an embanked area in the Arendal Bay and cement and slag are used as binding agents. To ensure the spoils can be enclosed safely without them seeping into the surroundings, a series of comprehensive field trials have been conducted, both in a laboratory setting and in a small test basin in Arendal Bay.