Port of Gothenburg – Wetland at Torsviken

The Port of Gothenburg is currently working with the Swedish Transport Administration on the construction of a wetland for wildfowl at Torsviken. The wetland is a way of reinstating an area that has been used for almost 40 years as a deposition site for dredging spoils.

Ever since the seventies, the Port of Gothenburg has had permission to lay contaminated dredged material in Torsviken near the port area at Hisingen. The masses have mainly been laid in an embanked area in the southern part of the bay. In 2009, this permit expired. Since then, the Port of Gothenburg has worked to cover the masses and, as far as possible, restore the area’s original character as a wetland with a rich bird life.

Before the wetland could be built, reinforcement work had to be done and the dredging site was covered with a clean material. This is where the new Marieholm tunnel comes into the picture. During the construction of the tunnel inside Gothenburg, large amounts of clay were excavated. This glacial clay was used to cover contaminated soil and thus create a protective barrier. This phase was completed in mid 2019 and since then the work of excavating and installing inlets and outlet system has continued. This will create an inlet of water from Torslandaviken to the new basin. Plans are to fill the basin with water during the summer of 2021.