Sweden’s largest dredging project to be carried out from summer 2027
News 2026-07-02
Signed and sealed. The Swedish Maritime Administration and the Port of Luleå have signed an agreement with the contractor for the remaining dredging works in the Malmporten project.
“With the contract now in place, Sweden’s largest dredging project can move into its next major implementation phase,” says Erik Eklund, Director-General of the Swedish Maritime Administration.
The agreement with the contractor for the remaining dredging works in Project Malmporten was the final and decisive step before practical implementation begins next year. In total, approximately 40 kilometres of fairway will be dredged between 2027 and 2030. The volume of dredged material is equivalent to around 23 Avicii Arenas.
The contractor will be Malmporten Dredging Contractors, MDC, the same company that carried out preparatory dredging for the project in 2024. The company is a joint venture between Boskalis and Van Oord.
“The contract is the result of extensive work by both the Swedish Maritime Administration and the Port of Luleå, and marks an important milestone. Together with our new, larger icebreaker, this will significantly strengthen capacity and competitiveness in northern Sweden ahead of the winter of 2030–2031,” says Erik Eklund.
According to Anders Dahl, CEO of the Port of Luleå, larger vessels capable of carrying more cargo offer benefits including increased profitability, stronger competitiveness and positive environmental effects, both regionally and nationally.
“This is very good news for Luleå, Norrbotten and, above all, Sweden. Malmporten creates benefits for society and contributes to growth across the country through more efficient maritime transport to and from the Port of Luleå,” says Anders Dahl.
The contract is worth approximately SEK 5.7 billion. The work is scheduled for completion in 2030.
Project Malmporten is a collaboration between the Swedish Maritime Administration and the Port of Luleå. The project includes, among other things, dredging deeper fairways and constructing a new deep-water port, land areas and infrastructure within the port. The work is a response to industry demand arising from the ongoing societal transformation and increased production of, among other things, iron ore and steel in Norrbotten.
More information:
Swedish Maritime Administration, Press Office: +46 (0)771-40 90 09 (menu option 1), info@sjofartsverket.se
Port of Luleå, Communications: +46 (0)76-134 90 78, kommunikation@portlulea.com
Project Malmporten
Project Malmporten is Sweden’s largest dredging project. It will enable the Port of Luleå to receive vessels with a draught of up to 14.7 metres. This will make transport from northern Sweden more efficient and reduce fuel consumption and emissions per tonne of cargo transported.
Luleå has been designated by the EU as a strategically prioritised port. The project is co-financed through the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T).
The project is a collaboration between Luleå Hamn AB, Luleå Municipality, the Swedish Maritime Administration and the Swedish Transport Administration. The Port of Luleå and the Swedish Maritime Administration are responsible for implementing the project.
The project has been approved by the Swedish Government and is included in the national transport infrastructure plan for 2018–2029.