Adriatic Gate Container Terminal (AGCT) has moved four million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) through the Port of Rijeka since International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) began operating the Croatian facility in 2011, hitting the milestone five years after clearing two million TEUs.

The terminal, run by ICTSI subsidiary Jadranska vrata d.d., is Croatia's largest container facility and is positioning itself as a regional Adriatic gateway for Central and Southeast European cargo.

What drove the throughput climb?

Most of AGCT's box traffic leaves the quay by rail or road, feeding hinterland markets in five countries:

• Austria
• Czech Republic
• Hungary
• Serbia
• Slovakia

"Over the past 15 years, AGCT has become an increasingly important link between global shipping networks and inland markets across Central and Southeast Europe," Hans-Ole Madsen, ICTSI senior vice president and EMEA regional head, told Waybill Wire.

What is the operator investing in?

In late 2025, AGCT wrapped a EUR35 million (USD40 million) upgrade program aimed at lifting vessel-handling capability and cutting yard emissions. The package included:

• Two super post-Panamax quay cranes, sized for the largest boxships calling at Adriatic ports
• Two hybrid rubber-tyred gantry (RTG) cranes to expand stacking capacity and reduce fuel burn
• A roll-out of electric terminal tractors in place of diesel units
• Conversion of legacy RTGs to hybrid operation

Why does the equipment step-up matter?

The post-Panamax quay cranes close a competitive gap with northern Adriatic rivals, including the Port of Koper, by giving Rijeka the spread to work 20,000-TEU-class vessels. Hybrid RTGs and electric tractors cut diesel use in the yard, a line-item carriers and forwarders now price into terminal selection under EU emissions rules.

"Continued investment in infrastructure, equipment and intermodal connectivity has strengthened Rijeka's position within regional supply chains and improved access to international trade for customers throughout the terminal's hinterland," Madsen added.

What do shippers and forwarders get?

For Central European cargo owners, the investment translates into a second viable Adriatic option for deepsea imports that previously defaulted to Koper or Trieste. AGCT's rail connections into Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic shorten trucking distances versus north-Sea routings, a structural cost edge for bulk shippers moving automotive parts, paper, steel and consumer goods.

What are the commercial signals?

The four million TEU cumulative mark is volume carried since 2011, not annual throughput, but ICTSI's combined handling at the Croatian terminal has reached a level that justifies the post-Panamax capex. A second million TEU took half the time of the first million, indicating the terminal is now scaling rather than seeding demand.

"Reaching four million TEUs as we mark 15 years with ICTSI reflects the progress AGCT has achieved," said AGCT chief executive officer Iñigo Nuñez Mendibe.

What is the trajectory?

The terminal will need to convert the crane and yard investment into a sustained step-up in annual box moves if it is to defend market share against Koper and the expanding Port of Trieste, both of which are pursuing their own hinterland rail upgrades. Watch AGCT's 2026 annual throughput disclosure for the first full-year test of the post-Panamax equipment.