TRIESTE – A cargo ship from China berthed in recent days at the port of Koper carrying an exceptional load that included 21 wind turbine blades, each about 87 metres long.
This is the first tranche of a larger shipment destined for the construction of seven wind farms in Austria, confirming the Slovenian port’s growing role in traffic linked to the energy transition.
Unloading operations were carried out in the port’s main basin using specialised equipment for handling out-of-gauge cargo. The remaining components – including towers and other structural parts – will be moved to a second terminal to complete the logistics operations. Transport to the final sites will be carried out by abnormal road convoys, organised at night and under escort, with the first departures scheduled from April onward. Project cargo traffic, which includes large, high-value industrial goods, is one of the fastest-growing segments for Luka Koper, the company that manages the port. Demand is being driven in particular by European investment in renewable energy and decarbonisation targets, which require increasingly specialised logistics infrastructure.
To respond to this shift, the port has launched a plan to strengthen its operating capacity. Among the most significant measures are the introduction of new high-capacity mobile harbour cranes and the construction of a dedicated berth around 200 metres long, due for completion by the end of 2026, specifically designed to handle exceptional cargo and complex industrial projects.
Alongside operational development, Luka Koper is also continuing to invest in governance and compliance. The company recently passed a verification under the new ISO 37001:2025 international standard for anti-bribery management systems, an increasingly central element in ensuring transparency and reliability across global logistics chains.
