Port of Klaipėda

The Port of Klaipėda is a seaport located in Klaipėda, Lithuania. It is one of the few ice-free ports in northernmost Europe, and the second largest European Union port by tonnage in the Baltic.[3] It serves as a port of call for cruise ships as well as freight transport. Regular passenger ferry lines connect to Kiel, Karlshamn, Copenhagen and other European cities.[4]

Port of Klaipėda
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Location
CountryLithuania
LocationKlaipėda, Lithuania
Coordinates55.717778°N 21.1125°E / 55.717778; 21.1125
UN/LOCODELTKLJ[1]
Details
Opened1252[2]
Owned byGovernment of Lithuania
Chief Executive OfficerAlgis Latakas
Statistics
Vessel arrivals6 552 (2021)
Annual cargo tonnage45.62 million (2021)
Annual container volume666 775 TEU (2021)
Passenger traffic1076 (2021)
Website
portofklaipeda.lt

History
The old port of Klaipėda in early 20th century
Winter Harbour, Kopagalis district of Klaipėda, 1930s

The city of Klaipėda (Memel) has been involved in maritime trade as early as the 13th century,[2] and probably during prehistoric times, since it is located on the Amber Road. For several centuries its administration as well as its merchants defended the port and it was heavily fortified. In the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, most of the trade was handled via the Port of Danzig, Port of Königsberg and Port of Riga.[5] Therefore, Klaipėda emerged as a major trading port only in recent centuries. At the beginning of the 20th century the port was transferred to the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Transport of Lithuania. Before World War I, the major cargo was timber. During the 20th century, mineral and cellulose enterprises were established in Lithuania, and became port commodities. Infrastructure supporting the fishing and shipbuilding industries were also built.

Port in 1852

Current operations
The port of Klaipėda handled more than 46 million tons of cargo in 2018

Klaipėda State Seaport Authority (Lithuanian: Klaipėdos valstybinio jūrų uosto direkcija) was established in 1991, soon after the restoration of Lithuania's independence. It administers the port and supports its integration into the larger scheme of Lithuanian transport. The Port Authority is responsible for the maintenance, reconstruction and modernisation of the port infrastructure, while loading and unloading operations are managed by separate independent terminals. The port's land and infrastructure belong to the state, but some privatisization is underway.

The Port of Klaipėda is the most northerly ice-free port in the Eastern part of the Baltic Sea. The port can accommodate ships of up to 400 meters in length with draughts of up to 14.3 meters. The port is served by two railway stations and a highways which together link Klaipėda to Kaunas, Vilnius and cities in the nearby countries, such as Minsk, Kyiv and Moscow.

In 1997, 16.13 million tons of cargo were handled at the port, increasing to over 31 million tons in 2010. About 321,000 international passengers transhipped the port of Klaipėda in 2010, on ferries servicing Kiel and Mukran in Germany, Åhus in Sweden, and Copenhagen and Fredericia in Denmark.

In 2015, the Port Authority hired Austrian company Strabag for dredging the shipping channel to the depth of 15 metres.[6]

In 2023, the shipping channel was deepened to 15.5 metres.

In August 2023, it was announced that ~115 million euros will be invested in the infrastructure of offshore wind power plants in the port of Klaipėda.[7]

Some of the major companies or objects operating in the port:

Annual cargo turnover, million tonnes[8]
2000200120022003200420052006200720082009
19.4017.2419.7421.1920.2521.7923.6127.3629.8827.86
2010201120122013201420152016201720182019
31.2836.5935.2433.4236.4138.5140.1443.1746.5846.22
202020212022
47.7945.6236.12
  • Ships in the port
    Ships in the port
  • Embankment of the cruise ship terminal
    Embankment of the cruise ship terminal
  • Cargo loading
    Cargo loading
  • Harbour
    Harbour
  • Sea gate
    Sea gate
  • Cruise ship Costa Magica visiting the port
    Cruise ship Costa Magica visiting the port
  • US military equipment transferred as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve
    US military equipment transferred as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve

See also

References
  1. "UNLOCODE (LT) - LITHUANIA". service.unece.org. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  2. "History". Port of Klaipėda. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  3. "Port of Klaipeda maintains strong positions". Lithuanian Ministry of Transport. 2021.
  4. "www.klaipedainfo.lt". Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  5. "LDK istorija: Rygos, Karaliaučiaus ir Gdansko vaidmuo Lietuvos prekyboje" [History of GDL: the role of Riga, Königsberg and Gdańsk in Lithuanian trade]. 15min (in Lithuanian). 21 March 2014. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  6. "Klaipėdos uosto kanalo gilinimo konkursą laimėjo austrų "Strabag"" (in Lithuanian). Verslo žinios. 27 April 2015. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
  7. Pryšmantas, Valdas (10 August 2023). "Klaipėdos uoste į jūros vėjo jėgainių infrastruktūrą bus investuojama apie 115 mln. eurų". Lithuanian National Radio and Television (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  8. "Port statistics". Port of Klaipėda. Archived from the original on 25 June 2022. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
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