Klaipeda Port in Lithuania Launches Tender for Operator of 100-Hectare New Port Area

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On November 11, the Klaipeda State Seaport Authority of Lithuania launched a tender for the selection of an operator for the southern port area, planning to develop approximately 100 hectares of new port area, build about 1,300 meters of new berths, and bring in port operators and maritime industry investors. The overall project investment is expected to exceed EUR 1 billion. The selected enterprise will sign a 50-year land lease agreement with the port authority and participate in the development and operation of the new port area.

The southern port area plan includes land formation, shoreline protection, wharf construction, channel dredging, and road and railway connection works, and will also include a ship turning basin about 600 meters wide within the harbor basin. The port authority is responsible for the main infrastructure, including land reclamation, shoreline protection, wharves, and channels. The related works are expected to involve an investment of about EUR 600 million and are scheduled for completion by December 2028. Subsequent tenants will be responsible for building the warehouses, production facilities, wharf equipment, and handling systems required for their respective operations.

About 50 hectares of land in the new port area are intended for the construction of a container terminal, with a designed annual handling capacity of about 1.5 million TEU after full development; another approximately 50 hectares will be used for other cargo handling and maritime industrial activities, with the final use to be determined based on the tender results. Once the project is completed, the new wharf shoreline, container yard, and land-side collection and distribution facilities will together form the new operating area in the southern part of Klaipeda Port.

If all 100 hectares of land are leased, future tenants will need to bear a capital contribution of at least EUR 300 million, while partial leases will be determined proportionally based on the area of land applied for and the length of berth shoreline. Each selected enterprise must pay at least 50% of the initial capital contribution before land delivery, with the remainder paid within 15 years after obtaining the land. Tenants must also invest in building warehouses, production facilities, cranes, and other operating equipment at their own expense; enterprises engaged in cargo handling must commit to a minimum annual cargo handling volume, and this committed volume may not be reduced year by year during the lease term.

This tender adopts a competitive dialogue procedure. Applicant enterprises will first undergo assessment of technical capability, professional experience, and financial strength. After passing qualification review, they will negotiate technical, financial, and legal conditions with the port authority, and then submit final proposals. Enterprises may apply to lease the entire port area or part of the plots therein, and the final selected party must also pass Lithuania's national security review. The port authority requires interested participants to submit applications and preliminary proposals by 13:00 local time on January 15, 2027. After the tenant facilities are completed, the new port area is expected to begin operations in 2031.