The Port of Gdańsk Authority has awarded the lease for a new area at the port to DCT Gdańsk, which is already the largest container terminal on the Baltic Sea.
Since the start of its operations in 2007, two deep-water quays (T1 and T2 – launched in 2007 and 2016 respectively) have been built with a total capacity of 3m teu.
With the construction of the new terminal, known as “Baltic Hub 3”, a third deep-water quay located at the new port area will be created, increasing the handling capacity of DCT Gdańsk by 1.5m teu to 4.5m teu.
The investment is worth €450m, and the third deep-water quay will be 717 m long with a depth of 18.0 m and 36 ha of yard.
Charles Baker, CEO of DCT Gdańsk, said: “DCT Gdańsk is a true 21st century terminal, and the Baltic Hub Terminal 3 development will bring the latest low-carbon technology which any European port would be proud of. Even the concrete used for construction will have a reduced carbon impact. Baltic Hub Terminal 3 will greatly enhance our service offerings to our customers and is a significant boost to attracting new services or shipping alliances, as well as supporting the growth of Poland and surrounding economies.
“With the construction of Baltic Hub Terminal 3, Poland can continue to compete with western European ports such as Hamburg and Rotterdam. Adding a third quay will allow the terminal to serve not only the Polish market, but also the entire Baltic region and Poland’s land-locked neighbours. Historically, when we talked about major ports in North Range, it was always Hamburg – Le Havre Range. DCT Gdańsk, growing rapidly, has extended that range to Gdańsk, Poland, and the Baltic.”
The Baltic Hub 3 project also involves the purchase of seven quay cranes that are able to handle the world’s largest vessels, and 20 semi-automated rail-mounted gantry (RMG) cranes for the container yard, which will be remotely operated by operators located in ergonomically-designed workspaces.
This will allow for a safer, efficient, modern and more comfortable working environment 365 days of the year.
The construction is planned to start in Q2 2022 and Baltic Hub 3 is scheduled to be operational by mid-2024.
Marek Gróbarczyk, deputy minister of infrastructure, said: “Over the last five years, we have placed great emphasis on improving the access infrastructure to Polish seaports, renovating, and building new quays, and deepening fairways.
“Thanks to the expansion of the DCT terminal, the Port of Gdansk will maintain its leading position among the ports in the Baltic Sea. Investments such as Baltic Hub 3 strengthen the position of the Polish economy. This terminal is the heart of the port, and its development is not only development of the port itself, but also of its hinterland.”
The new terminal will be reclaimed entirely on the water with its development adjacent to existing T1, thus continuing the growth out to sea, away from the beach. The same approach was utilised for DCT Gdansk’s construction of T1.
Łukasz Greinke, President of the Port of Gdańsk, stated: “The offer, followed by the choice of such a conscious investor as DCT from the PSA group, i.e., one of the world’s largest container terminal operators, proves the enormous potential of the Port of Gdańsk and the Polish economy.
“This is the result of nearly two years of intense teamwork, which in the first place worked on amendments to the Act on Sea Ports and Harbours, so that it would be possible to lease land that will only be created as a result of loading, then on changing the Company’s statute, and finally on developing a very complicated, transparent procedure. It worked, and thanks to such investments, the Port of Gdańsk will get to the top league of European ports.”
Declaring its commitment to protecting the environment and marine life, the operator has stated that no development will occur at Stogi beach, which will continue to be accessible to visitors.
