By the time the building permit became valid, Luka Koper had already published the public procurement for the selection of the contractor who will install the test drilling pilots which will carry the upper structure of the quayside. A period of monitoring will then follow before actual construction work, which is expected to start in May 2019.

The total investment is expected to be completed by the beginning of 2021. In accordance with the business strategy of Luka Koper, the terminal will then be able to handle at least 1.3 million TEUs annually. With the ongoing optimisation of operational and infrastructure processes, this can be increased to 1.5 million TEU/year. 

The extension of Pier I is a key project for Luka Koper and also includes the acquisition of new port equipment, such as super-post-panamax STS cranes, transtainers and other handling equipment. The total value of the investment is EUR 235m, part of which has already been spent on past projects such as dredging, rail tracks construction and RMG cranes.

In 2017, Luka Koper handled 911,528 TEUs and has been the leading container terminal in the Adriatic for many years. In 2018, the plan is to reach around 980,000 TEUs of throughput.