EIB lends €100m to turn Lithuanian port into NATO-ready hub

The European Investment Bank is providing a €100 million loan to upgrade Lithuania's Port of Klaipėda, adapting part of its civilian cruise terminal for NATO vessels. The €201 million project, due by end of 2027, also includes green hydrogen, shore power, and offshore wind quays, blending military mobility with the green transition.

Bottom line — The dual-use port upgrade strengthens NATO's Baltic logistics while advancing Lithuania's offshore wind and hydrogen ambitions.

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• The EIB credit covers up to half the total cost, with the rest from EU, national sources, and other institutions, per the EIB.
• Parts of the civilian cruise terminal are being adapted to NATO requirements for more efficient logistical support for allied naval vessels, the EIB said.
• EIB Vice-President Karl Nehammer called the investment 'a direct contribution to supporting European security and cohesion, while aligning with the green transition.'
• The project includes shoreside electricity for ferries, a green-hydrogen production and refuelling station, low-emission port vessels, and upgraded quays for offshore wind deployment, according to Baltic Wind.
• Klaipėda handles around 6,000 ship calls and 40 million tonnes of cargo annually, plus up to half a million cruise and ferry passengers, the port authority said.
• The port's location near the Suwałki Gap makes it strategically important for NATO, as seaborne transport would be critical if the land bridge to Poland is cut, per The Maritime Executive.
• The Nordic Investment Bank also announced support for the port's modernisation earlier this year, Baltic Wind reported.
• Contracts for quay reconstruction (€43.9 million to UAB Tilsta) and a port administration building (€27 million to UAB KRS) have already been awarded, per Baird Maritime.

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