Tadeusz Palmowski: Port Gdańsk - a logistic and energy hub

Ports are a key link in the logistic chain and play an important role in international economy. Seventy six ports are located round the Baltic Sea. Ports, apart from their economic effectiveness, bear growing responsibility for a friendly attitude towards the environment and society. The future of ports in the Baltic Sea region (BSR) is affected not only by regional links and mutual interdependence but also by economic development trends, politics and global balance. The consequences of climatic changes, fluctuating social values and behaviours, technological innovations, variations in energy supplies and consumption, macroeconomic development, geopolitical situation and a new approach to security and stability all bear a significant impact on the operation and development of Polish ports. This means focusing not only on sustainable solutions and emphasis on a green and blue economy but also on energy and transport issues.

Four Polish ports: Gdańsk, Gdynia, Szczecin and Świnoujście remain of basic importance to the economy. They thrive to strengthen and maintain their position among the seaports of the Baltic Sea basin. Their role is to operate as key hubs, global delivery chains to Central-Eastern Europe and augment better social and economic development of Poland. In the passing decade, their position among European ports has clearly risen.

Port Gdańsk, as an economic body with exceptional development potential, has taken good advantage of its time. During the past few years the port underwent transformation from a baulk cargo facility to a universal port offering berths to the largest ships sailing on the Baltic Sea. The deepwater container terminal Baltic Hub (former DCT) started operating in 2007. Following the construction of a second deepwater quay T2, Baltic Hub doubled its handling capacity in 2016 to 2.9 mil TEU, thus becoming the biggest container terminal in terms of handling capacity on the Baltic Sea. The operating surface spreads to 88 ha. In 2023, the port handled 2.05 mil TEU. At the end of 2024, finishing works took place on the installation of powerful STS quey cranes at yet another terminal T3, which covers an area of 36 ha and provides additional handling capacity of 1.5 mil TEU. The completion of the investment project will raise the handling capacity to nearly 5 mil TEU. 

The next investment project of the Baltic Hub will be terminal T5 covering an area of 21 ha, which will serve as a deepwater Offshore Wind Installation Base (OWIB). T5 is to be the extension of the present T1 terminal. The location of the installation terminal in Gdańsk is focal in developing the delivery chain for offshore wind farms in Polish marine areas. The most noteworthy devised undertaking is the construction of the Central Port in Gdańsk. The port is to be built in the Gdańsk Gulf waters. It will be connected to the already existing road and rail infrastructure. Central Port shall cover an area of 500 ha and house 8 terminals and the potential to handle annually even 100 mil tons of cargo. The Port will be built and financed under the public private partnership formula. The investment project is already arousing considerable interest. Implementation of the Central Port project will affect the quality of Port Gdańsk infrastructure and the services it provides. 

Still another project involves the construction of a Floating Storage and Regassification Unit (FSRU) for LNG in the Gdańsk Gulf waters. The 3 km long underwater gas pipeline will connect the terminal with the land base. The new pipeline will distribute gas in the country.  In effect, Poland will have its second LNG terminal in addition to Świnoujście, thus marking an important step in diversifying energy sources and transforming the Polish economy. 

In the Inner Port, the fairway has been deepened to 12 meters, thanks to which larger ships can call at this part of the port. Five km of existing quays, 7 km of railway lines, 10 km of roads, 4 new flyovers and railway stations were modernised and restructured. Today railway access to the Port has become more ecological, efficient and safe. The implemented investment projects and organizational steps significantly improved the pace of service at the port.

Thanks to Poland’s bridging location, Port Gdański similarly as the remaining Polish ports are at the onset of the Baltic-Adriatic and Baltic- Black Sea transport corridors.  Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Port Gdańsk fared well servicing dispatchers from Ukraine, handling coal and as part of Military Mobility quickly prepared unloading sites for NATO allied troops.

The Gdańsk Naftoport has already become a fuel hub for the region. It provides refining to both Poland and the neighbouring states. After the expansion, the port will gain an additional berth for hosting big VLCC ocean tankers (over 300 m long and 60 m wide with the draught limited to 15 m), which translates to a maximum cargo batch of approximately 180 thous. tons. The feasible technological capacity of the new berth is approximately 9 mil tons annually.

Today, Port Gdańsk is strategically a significant partner of the European social and economic network. The new vision and prepared strategy for the development of Port Gdańsk up to 2060 is guided by concern for safety and foresees the building of an energy hub on the port premises, Further steps are in progress to prepare the port’s operation in line with the demands of blue and green economy and the port becoming a Generation Five seaport.