Klaipėda Port on the Baltic coast plans to invest more than 70 million euros in a new cruise ship terminal and port management building, Lithuanian Transport Minister Juras Taminskas said during a construction ceremony on Friday.
"This project is not just infrastructure for cargo and economic activity, but a space that connects the port with the city. The port is coming to the city, and the city is welcoming the port. This is a place for both port operations and the people," he said.
Algis Latakas, head of the Klaipėda Port, said the new quay will also be equipped to moor NATO vessels in cooperation with the Defence Ministry.
According to Latakas, the new management building will consolidate all port authority functions in one location, ranging from vessel traffic control to design and administration.
He said that the total cost of the project is significant, but it’s justified.
"Money is a question that might seem large today, but in five or ten years, it will look completely different. We might even say how cheaply we built everything. This is not an attempt to avoid the price issue – it is certainly not small – but considering the scale of the entire facility and the necessary investments, it is justified," Latakas said.
Construction is scheduled for completion by the end of 2027. The new terminal is expected to significantly increase the port's capacity as cruise traffic grows, with the number of ships potentially exceeding 100 next year.
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