The concession for the development and economic use of the Zagreb Deep Sea container terminal has been granted for a period of 50 (fifty) years and estimated at HRK 20,543,241,942.00 (excluding VAT) and the concession fee fixed at EUR 2,000,000 annually. The Concessionaire undertakes to build the necessary infrastructures and fully equip the Zagreb Deep Sea container terminal in Phase 1 and Phase 2 (construction of 280 meters of a new pier and equipment) and guarantees a handling capacity of 1,000,000 TEU in the first two years of operation.

On behalf of the grantor, the concession contract was signed by Denis Vukorepa, head of the Rijeka Port Authority, and on behalf of the concessionaire by Morten Engelstoft, CEO of APM Terminals and by Pavao Vujnovac, president of the Energia Naturalis Group.

The contract signing ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, Minister of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure Oleg Butković, Rijeka Mayor Marko Filipović, the Vice President of the Primorje – Gorski Kotar County Vojko Braut, the Ambassador of Denmark to Croatia Ole Henrik Frijs – Madsen and representatives of many companies and institutions.

At the signing ceremony, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković stressed that the concession contract created the conditions for Rijeka to take a leading role in cargo transshipment in the northern Adriatic and become the most important sea exit for central and southeast Europe.

Rijeka mayor, Marko Filipović said that the granting of the concession on the Zagreb Deep Sea terminal was a result of a synergistic cooperation with the Government, the Ministry, the Region and the Port Authority. The mayor recalled that that historical moment was a result of efforts put by numerous governments, as well as the fact that the City of Rijeka, headed by former mayor Vojko Obersnel, had supported such a development of Rijeka through its spatial plans and visions.

The Minister of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure Oleg Butković said that the port of Rijeka would position itself as the main intermodal centre in the North Adriatic, alongside the major European ports.

“We expect the concessionaire to ensure that the total container turnover in Rijeka reaches one million TEUs in 2025, and one and a half million three years later,” said Minister Butković.

“We want to develop our business where it makes sense and where customers need us, and that is the case with Rijeka,” said Morten Engelstoft, CEO of APM Terminals.

“We firmly believe that our joint investment in the Zagreb Deep Sea container terminal in Rijeka will lay the foundations for further growth and sustainability of port operations and logistics operations in Rijeka and the Republic of Croatia,” commented Pavao Vujnovac.

The Zagreb Deep Sea container terminal has a sea depth of 20 meters along the coastal wall, which puts it in the group of “deep sea” terminals that have the ability to accept and service container ships of the latest generation. The construction of Phase 1 of this 400-meter-long terminal with equipment was completed in 2019.