ICTSI to Expand Container Terminal in Croatia

Adriatic Gate Container Terminal (AGCT), the Croatian subsidiary of International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) at the Port of Rijeka, is set to realize a comprehensive expansion plan in the period up to mid-2020.

In cooperation with the Rijeka Port Authority, AGCT has drawn up plans for a two-phase dredging scheme with the first phase fully-approved, entailing the dredging of 130 meters of quay over its Berths 1 and 2. This will facilitate the berthing of vessels of up to 400 meters. The work will be completed by mid-2020 and will provide 438 meters of berth with a depth alongside of 15 meters.

Financing for the infrastructure works has been provided by the E.U. and PRA, with ICTSI undertaking all the associated necessary investment in quayside and landside handling systems, as well as the increased coverage of the terminal’s IT systems.

The second phase foresees additional dredging alongside the 438m of quay to a depth of 16.5 meters. Once completed, this project will make AGCT the first terminal in the northern Adriatic able to berth vessels of up to 20,000-TEU capacity, with an length overall of up to 400 meters and beam of 59 meters.

Complementing these initiatives are new Super Post Panamax cranes with an outreach of at least 24 rows, as part of the berth upgrade; and new rubber tyred gantries (RTGs) and prime movers introduced on the landside.

Work is also now advanced on upgrading AGCT’s on-dock rail terminal to offer an annual capacity of 360,000 TEUs per year. The upgraded rail yard will feature two new rail mounted gantries (RMGs) over four rail lines. The upgrade will be completed in the last quarter of 2019.

Total terminal yard capacity will be increased up to 600,000 TEUs per year in line with demand.

For trucks, AGCT offers a direct connection to the highway and an average truck dwell time of 13 minutes in the export cycle and 19 minutes in the import cycle. Approximately 40 percent of the terminal’s annual throughput now moves via rail, and this is expected to increase up to a level of 60 percent.

Regular services operated by rail directly from AGCT include cross border services to Hungary, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and within Croatia to the capital city of Zagreb. With spare capacity in the rail system and a fully liberalized rail market in operation, providing access to private rail operators, AGCT is very confident that working with its shipping line clients and common user operators will continue to extend its market reach and grow the terminal’s rail market share.