Port of Gdańsk with a chance to become one of Europe’s leading ports

DTC Gdańsk (Deepwater Container Terminal), the largest container terminal in the Baltic Sea, plans to begin the construction of its third quay and storage yard at the Port of Gdańsk. Referred to as Baltic Hub Terminal 3, this investment project will increase DTC Gdańsk’s transshipment capacity up to 4.5 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units). Not only will the construction of a new deepwater section increase the transshipment capacity for the entire Port of Gdańsk, but it will also bring a real possibility to transform it into one of Europe’s leading ports. This would turn Poland into a true logistics and transport hub.

“This port is an enormous opportunity for Poland. Its transshipment capacity will increase. This brings a major increase in potential. The third stage of the terminal’s expansion – along with the fourth that may soon become reality – is a great opportunity to create an interconnected network of various railway, road and maritime communication routes. This will increase both the transshipment potential and investor interest in Poland”, Mr Morawiecki remarked.

Baltic Hub Terminal 3 will make it possible for Poland to compete with such Western European ports as Hamburg and Rotterdam. This will enable the Port of Gdańsk to service not only the Polish market but also the entire Baltic Sea region, including the Visegrad Group countries, as well as Belarus and Ukraine. Baltic Hub Terminal 3 is scheduled to be commissioned in mid-2024.

The development of the Port of Gdańsk will contribute to increasing the number of jobs.

DCT Gdańsk S.A. was selected in a procedure carried out by the Port of Gdańsk Authority S.A. for the lease of land to be reclaimed by the investor. The investment project includes constructing a 717 m long and 18 m deep quay, as well as a storage yard with an area of more than 36 hectares, which will make it possible to handle an additional 1.5 million TEU per year.

“What does this mean for people, for employees? High-paying jobs at ports. This will increase employee wages and the profits earned by Polish companies”, said Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. “I would like to thank Minister Gróbarczyk, who is a ‘good spirit’ watching over the development of Polish ports. Thanks to this, Poland is turning into a serious competitor to Western European ports, and I hope that this trend continues in the coming decades”, he added.

The government has been striving for the development of the Polish maritime economy for years. The above investment project is possible only because breakwaters, a manoeuvring basin and an approach fairway suitable for the largest vessels had been prepared for it.  The cost of these projects amounted to PLN 1.5 billion, with funding provided by the European Union and the state budget. The works are scheduled to wrap up soon.

Port of Gdańsk’s dynamic development

“Our dependence on foreign capital has decreased. Our development is more internal. The ports in the Baltic Sea contribute to this substantially”, the Prime Minister remarked.

In the last decade, the Port of Gdańsk has been the fastest-growing European port. Today it ranks 18^th among all ports in Europe. In early 2021, it has become one of the three largest ports in the Baltic Sea. It has solidified its position following the first quarter of 2021, ranking first in the Baltic Sea in terms of container transshipment and third in terms of total transshipment. More than 50 million tonnes of goods are handled at the port’s quays each year. The port’s dynamic development in recent years is a result of investment projects to create roads and railway infrastructure, renovate quays, set up new approach fairways and manoeuvring basins, construct breakwaters and deepen the inner port fairway.