The Management Board of Luka Koper d.d. was delighted to receive news that at its session held of 16th June, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia endorsed the National Spatial Plan (NSP) for a comprehensive spatial arrangement of the Port of Koper. The NSP is the principal document that will facilitate the port’s development as well as enhance its competitive edge. Luka Koper – which has spent about three million euros on the preparation of expert argumentation – has been anticipating its approval since 2006, when the procedure started.
Adoption of the NSP coincides with the outlining of new transport routes across the European continent, which shall also determine strategic entrepôts for maritime freight. Due to their location at the northernmost reach of the Mediterranean Sea, Northern Adriatic ports have an excellent opportunity to become nodes on the shortest, cheapest and most environment-friendly trade routes linking Central Europe with the Middle and Far East . These ports shall not, however, be able to seize this opportunity unless their infrastructure capacities are increased. This is exactly what the National Spatial Plan will allow the Port of Koper to achieve. Indeed, it is the very foundation of the company’s future development and prosperity, anticipating the expansion of the port zone from 280 to 404 hectares, as well as an increase in handling capacities to some 35 million tonnes of cargo per annum.
Of course, here we talk about long-term plans that will be accomplished gradually. In planning infrastructural investments, Luka Koper will give priority to profitable and environment-friendly cargos. At the same time the company remains fully aware that these plans will be difficult to realise without modern high-performance rail links with its hinterland markets.
The National Spatial Plan is the result of a compromise between the needs of the port, legal requirements and the wishes of the local community. We at Luka Koper want the NSP to be adopted by all stakeholders as a Slovenian project which shall provide new development impetus both locally and nationally,” commented Luka Koper Management Board President, Gregor Veselko, upon the adoption of the NSP.
[mappress]
Source: luka-kp, June 17, 2011;