The Klaipėda State Seaport Authority has launched a tender to select future tenants for a new 100-hectare area in the southern part of the port, in a project worth more than EUR 1 billion.
The aim is to attract strategic investors who will join the Authority from the outset to develop and deliver the project, which is intended for cargo handling and maritime industry activities.
Transport and Communications Minister Juras Taminskas called it the largest expansion of the Port of Klaipėda in the history of independent Lithuania, one that will strengthen competitiveness, generate billions of euros in value for the economy and improve regional security.
The Authority will create 100 hectares of new land, build about 1.3 km of new quays, deepen part of the shipping channel in the southern port area, create a 600-metre-wide turning basin and provide road and rail connections.
These works are estimated at around EUR 600 million, of which future tenants will contribute at least EUR 300 million if the whole territory is leased, with proportionate minimum contributions for bids covering only part of it.
The indicative layout earmarks about 50 hectares for a container terminal with a full build-out capacity of about 1.5 million TEU, and the remaining 50 hectares for a wider range of port activities, with the final allocation depending on the tender outcome.
Lease agreements will run for 50 years, and participants may bid for the whole area or a smaller part. Each bidder will offer an initial financial contribution based on the quay length and land area sought.
At least half must be paid before the land is handed over, and the remainder within 15 years of possession.
Tenants must also invest in their own buildings, cranes and equipment, and cargo-handling companies must commit to minimum annual cargo volumes that cannot decrease over the lease term.
The tender will proceed in stages through the electronic platform Užsakovas. Applications and initial proposals will first be assessed against requirements covering technical capacity, professional experience and financial strength.
Qualified participants will then enter a dialogue on technical, financial and legal terms before submitting final proposals. If any land remains after the first round, further rounds may be held.
Each selected participant must pass a national security assessment before signing a lease.
Director General Algis Latakas said a project of this scale calls for a different approach: the Authority is seeking partners who will invest in the new infrastructure from the start and later build facilities, docks and warehouses or install cranes, and it is working to attract major international cargo handling and maritime industry companies able to ensure stable cargo flows.
The port currently has limited room to expand, which restricts its growth and its ability to remain a leading port.
Construction preparation is already under way: Tilsta, contracted at EUR 24.5 million excluding VAT to build the southern port gates, has set up its site, and the new structures will also prevent saltwater from entering the Curonian Lagoon.
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