Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor on Wednesday inaugurated a new container terminal in Ploce Port worth EUR 33.6 million, including close to 12 million euros of government funds.

Construction work on the terminal started in January 2008. The terminal covers an area of almost four hectares and its current capacity is 60,000 container units.

So far, 44.2 million euros has been invested in the project, including 15 million euros of budgetary funds.

The concession contract between the Ploce Port Authority and the company Ploce Port also envisages a second and a third stage of construction work, after which the terminal will have 23 hectares in area and an annual capacity of 500,000 container units.

PM Kosor said that overall investments in the container terminal in Ploce Port would amount to some EUR 139 million.

The construction of the container terminal is envisaged by a development programme of Ploce Port, which is a part of a transport and trade integration project which also envisages the start of construction work on a terminal for dry bulk cargo by the beginning of 2011. The project envisages other infrastructure investments as well.