October the 31st, 2025 – The enormous Rijeka Gateway is now (officially) open, with the 380 million euro container terminal bringing Rijeka and Croatia as a whole back to the demanding global logistics map.
As Poslovni Dnevnik/Sinisa Malus writes, the much anticipated Rijeka Gateway container terminal officially opened on Wednesday, despite having actually been in technical operation since September the 10th this year. It is the most modern and technologically advanced container terminal in the entire Adriatic region, significantly boosting Croatia’s position on the logistics map of the world.
“Rijeka has a strategic advantage as the first point of entry to Central and Southeastern Europe, as well as connections to fast land services. We hope to see a positive impact in Croatia soon,” stated Keith Svendsen, CEO of APM Terminals. It is imperative, he added, that as a terminal operator, Rijeka Gateway doesn’t only serve shipping lines.
the rijeka gateway container terminal is a key terminal on one of the world’s most important shipping routes
“We serve the communities and countries in which we operate and which entrust us with part of their critical infrastructure. That’s why we strive to work closely with our local partners and authorities to ensure a long-term positive impact on growth, jobs and the local economy,” added Svendsen. Rijeka Gateway, a joint venture between APM Terminals and Enna Group, represents the largest private investment in logistics infrastructure in Croatia. The new terminal ensures the strategically important position of Rijeka and Croatia as a logistics gateway to Central and Eastern Europe. Rijeka Gateway is also included in the East-West network in cooperation between Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd on the AE12/SE1 route, making it a key terminal on one of the world’s most important shipping routes between Asia and Europe.
“The potential of the Rijeka Gateway container terminal is enormous and must be fully exploited. Our goal is to strengthen the ports of the entire northern Adriatic region and increase their competitiveness compared to other European ports, especially those located in the North Sea. We’re geographically excellently positioned – we’re closer to the Far East and closer to the heart of Europe. We also have plenty of expertise and a very rich maritime tradition. It’s time that we work to restore Rijeka to the position it has always held among the ports of the northern Adriatic and it’s time to put it back on the global logistics map. The next most important step towards unleashing its full potential is the construction of a lowland railway,” said Boštjan Napast, CEO of ENNA Group.
a future lowland railway line
The lowland railway is something that Prime Minister Andrej Plenković clearly promised. “It’s clear to us that the full potential of this project can only be realised with the building of the Budapest-Zagreb-Rijeka high-speed railway, and that’s going to be our next project. We’ve somewhat neglected the railways in recent decades, but now we’re seriously embarking on this next step,” said the Prime Minister. “The eighth commercial ship is already arriving and, although we still have plenty of work to do to achieve the highest operational excellence that we’ve set as our goal, I’m more than confident that with the team we’ve assembled, we’re going to succeed quickly,” said Peter Corfitsen, CEO of Rijeka Gateway.
the next project in the pipeline…
In the first phase, the Rijeka Gateway container terminal has 400 metres of shoreline at its disposal and an annual capacity of 650 thousand TEU, which, after the planned expansion in the next phase (by 2035), will increase to 680 metres of shoreline and a capacity of over one million TEU. The total investment in the enormous Rijeka Gateway container terminal project exceeds a staggering 380 million euros. Together with the value of the transport infrastructure – from roads to railway space in and around the port – the investment reaches a whopping 600 million euros. The total number of employees at the brand new, modern terminal has already exceeded 300.
The Rijeka Gateway container terminal is also fully equipped with all kinds of state-of-the-art infrastructure: four remotely operated ship cranes (STS), fifteen rubber-tired gantry cranes (RTG), two rail-mounted gantry cranes (RMG) and as many as 28 terminal tractors. All of these modern systems are connected to a single remote control centre, and the entire terminal is connected via the first industrial private 5G network in all of Croatia, which enables a high level of safety, efficiency and sustainability. The impressive northern Adriatic terminal’s operations are all driven by the latest technology with full automation and the use of renewable energy sources, making it the first terminal of its kind in the entire Adriatic region.
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