Lithuania. Klaipeda State Seaport Authority
| Date of agreement: | 03 Apr 2020 |
|---|---|
| Country: | Lithuania |
| Customer: | Klaipeda State Seaport Authority |
| Amount in EUR: | EUR 68 million |
| Maturity: | 19 years |
| NACE sector / loan type: | Water transport |
Project
The credit facility has been provided to finance the investment programme in Klaipėda port infrastructure.
The project consists of reconstructing a number of quays in the seaport. The quay depth will increase from 3.5–14 metres to up to 17 metres after the implementation thus providing the possibility to accommodate larger ships. The port’s annual capacity is expected to increase by 29% in relation to the investments.
The total investment costs amount to EUR 136 million. The refurbishment is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2023.
The Port of Klaipėda is an essential part of Lithuania’s transit policy. It is one of the major harbours in the region and has in recent years become the largest port by turnover in the Baltics. In 2019, the seaport handled 46.3 million tonnes of cargo.
Fulfilment of NIB's mandate
The project consists of refurbishing and extending several quay walls as well as increasing the depth of the port by dredging. This will result in productivity improvements, as increased depth will allow the port and its terminal operators to accommodate larger ships.
Due to the investments, the projected capacity of the port will increase by 19.1 million tonnes annually. This corresponds to approximately 29% of the total capacity that currently stands at 64 to 70 million tonnes per year.
Expected productivity impact:
- Cargo turnover of 59 million tonnes annually by 2023
Sustainability summary
The key environmental issue relates to dredging. Emissions into the air and the collection of sewage from vessels as well as storm water systems might also have negative impacts on the environment.
The estimated amount of sediment to be dredged is 1,000,000 cubic metres. The permit for dredging was issued by the Environmental Protection Agency in 2019. The permit requires investigations of dredging materials and contaminated sediments to be deposited in a specialised confined disposal facility.
The collection of sewage from the vessels is carried out with a specialised ship and the sewage is fed into the municipal sewage system.
The emissions to air can be minimised by connecting the vessels to land power to avoid running the oil-fuelled on-ship engines while being moored. However, a land-based power supply is not included in the scope of the project.
The storm water collection and treatment is outsourced to the port operators and is not included in the project.
