AGCT south berth dredging in progress
Dredging works at the south berth of the Adriatic Gate Container Terminal (AGCT) have commenced six months after the contract signing for the Upgrade of the Rijeka Port infrastructure – AGCT Dredging (POR2CORE-AGCT Dredging) Project.
The project covers dredging 100 meters of the seabed along the quay wall of AGCT’s southern berth to equalize the depth of the 428-meter operative quay along berths 1 and 2 to 14.88 meters.
“We are pleased to commence works on the dredging project. The deepening of the 100-meter section is crucial for our business as the required berth depth is a key requirement for shipping companies to efficiently call AGCT and the Port of Rijeka,” says Emmanuel Papagiannakis, AGCT Chief Executive Officer.
The current depth across the 328-meter portion of the quay restricts the number of containers that can be handled on vessels currently berthing at AGCT, reducing the call size and creating underutilized berths. Increasing the depth along the 100-meter portion allows the largest vessels calling the Adriatic–up to 15,000-TEU in capacity–to maximize volumes without restrictions and reduce berthing and unberthing times.
“The 2M Alliance calls AGCT with 15,000-TEU vessels, while the Ocean Alliance recently deployed a 10,000-TEU ship. Majority of the new ships scheduled to be delivered in the next two years are in the 18,000 to 24,000 TEU classes. We need to ensure that we have the ability to accommodate the increasing vessel sizes to ensure AGCT remains a gateway in the North Adriatic,” explains Mr. Papagiannakis.
With 100 meters of the berth currently unavailable and the construction area occupied by contractors, AGCT is focused on maintaining service delivery levels and minimizing any operational disruption.
Another project is on the pipeline to further increase the depth to 16.5 meters. This will enable the handling of next-generation vessels and further improve cargo flow between Asia and Europe for the local market, which increasingly includes Central Europe. With AGCT’s current rail share of 42 percent, the works are expected to contribute to the development of the Port of Rijeka as an important south entry into Europe and further increase the rail share and development of a larger logistics industry in Croatia.
“Following a successful 2019 with 20 percent growth, AGCT recorded a 12 percent growth in overall volumes in 2020 despite the pandemic. In May, the terminal recorded its all-time highest monthly volume and achieved its all-time highest rail share of 47 percent in October. The terminal also achieved a 30 percent year-to-date rail volume increase over the previous year,” said Mr. Papagiannakis.
Intermodal volume growth has been a key driver for AGCT with 70 percent of the volumes now coming from East and Central Europe, outside the local Croatian market. Looking forward to the continued growth of the Port of Rijeka, the Company will continue to develop the terminal and its intermodal offerings.
