Skandia Gateway project cancels dredging contract procurement

The Swedish Maritime Administration and the Port of Gothenburg are cancelling the joint procurement process for dredging works within the Skandia Gateway project. The reason is that the bids received exceed the budgeted costs for the state-funded portion of the project.

“We have decided to cancel the procurement within the Skandia Gateway Project, as the bids received are significantly higher than the available budget. Skandia Gateway is an important and necessary investment to secure competitive transport solutions for Swedish industry, and we look forward to implementing the project. Together with the Port of Gothenburg and in dialogue with contractors, we are now taking measures to restart a new procurement process as soon as possible. Our ambition remains to have the new fairway and quay operational in 2028,” says Joel Smith, Director of Infrastructure at the Swedish Maritime Administration.

An analysis of the procurement results is currently being carried out to ensure that potential cost reductions can be achieved without compromising the established performance objectives.

In addition, the Swedish Maritime Administration and the Port of Gothenburg will divide the contract into two parts to be procured separately. The Port of Gothenburg will begin the procurement for the dredging work closest to the quay (approximately 5% of the total dredging volume), which is planned to be carried out between August 2026 and May 2027. Thereafter, the Swedish Maritime Administration will carry out the remaining dredging works, with the ambition to start in 2027.

“Going forward, it is important for the Port of Gothenburg to maintain the original schedule for quay reinforcements and the dredging work closest to the quay — and that’s what we intend to do. Therefore, we are now planning a separate procurement to be published in November, ensuring that the work can continue according to plan,” says Jan Andersson, Project Manager at the Port of Gothenburg.

About Skandia Gateway
Skandia Gateway ensures direct maritime connections to Sweden and secures the business community’s access to global markets. The Port of Gothenburg is the only port in Sweden capable of accommodating the world’s largest vessels. However, ships continue to grow in size, and already today, the depth of the fairway prevents the largest vessels from calling at Gothenburg fully loaded. To safeguard future trade, the port needs to be adapted for modern shipping. The project is a collaboration between the Swedish Maritime Administration, the Swedish Transport Administration, and the Port of Gothenburg.