New territory created in Klaipėda port – for investors and water sports enthusiasts

  • 2024-10-25

As Klaipėda Port is planning to implement one of the largest projects in its history – a new 100-hectare territory in the southern part of the port, a building permit for the southern gateway complex has already been obtained.

“The development of the southern part of the Port of Klaipėda is one of our most ambitious projects. It would significantly expand the port’s capabilities and open up new investment and partnership opportunities. But this project is not just about port development; we want people, water sports enthusiasts, to benefit from it too. The development of the southern gateway complex would open up opportunities for the country to have not only a modern marina, but also a centre for the education of the younger generation, where sailing traditions would be fostered,” says Algis Latakas, Director General of the Klaipėda Port Authority.

In the summer of this year, the development of a new territory in the southern part of the Port of Klaipėda was approved by the specialists of the Environmental Protection Agency, and all environmental impact assessment procedures have been completed. It is foreseen that both the development of the southern part of the harbour and the planned deepening of the navigation channel to 17 metres should, for environmental reasons, in particular create a southern harbour gate with a marina for small and recreational ships. They are needed to prevent water mixing between the Baltic Sea and the Curonian Lagoon, to prevent changes in salinity, temperature and currents.

According to the technical design, the southern gateway complex will cover a territory of about 40 hectares, most of which – 32 hectares – will be aquatory. It includes a 1.3-kilometre-long southern and a nearly 1-kilometre-long northern dams, a pier of about 700 metres and a ferry berth of just over 120 metres. The estimated aquatory depth in the marina is 3.5 metres. Suitable soil excavated during dredging could be used to fill beaches with sand.

Depending on the arrangement of the pontoons, it is estimated that the southern gate complex will be able to accommodate around 500 recreational ships ranging from 5 to 20 metres in length. There is also a separate area for a children’s sailing school and a place for lowering paddlers’ equipment into the water.

The construction of the southern gateway complex is planned to be divided into four phases: the first phase will include the construction of the southern am and part of the northern dam, the second phase will include the construction of the pier, the third phase will include the quay, and the fourth will include the construction of the second part of the northern dam.

Once the organisational and funding issues have been resolved, a decision will be taken on the implementation of the project.

The technical design of the Southern Port Gateway Complex was prepared by UAB “Tyrens Lietuva”.