EU funds in the Port of Gdynia

The new turntable and deepening of port basins as well as the rebuilding of quays are the key elements of the development of the Gdynia port.

These are investments of structural importance for Poland and trans-European transport networks.

The Port of Gdynia Authority SA obtained a significant subsidy for the investment concerning these important elements of port development, entitled “Deepening of the approach track and internal waters of the Port of Gdynia – Stages I and III and the rebuilding of quays in the Port of Gdynia – Stages II and III”.

Thanks to the EU funds, the investments in the port infrastructure carried out bring not only the economic development of the country, but – what is very important – create new jobs in the region. One job in the port stimulates employment of four people in the port industry.

Moreover, according to the information provided by the tax administration,

over PLN 6 billion is transferred annually from the Gdynia port to the state budget. These revenues come from customs duties and taxes collected on trade in goods handled by specialist transshipment terminals operating in the Port of Gdynia.

Project concerning the deepening of the approach track and internal waters of the Port of Gdynia
aims primarily at improving the competitiveness of the port in the Baltic Sea region and the Baltic-Adriatic Corridor of the TEN-T Trans-European Transport Networks. Its implementation will contribute to improving the navigational parameters of the port itself as well as the competitiveness of the most environmentally friendly maritime transport.

The main objective of the project

is to deepen the approach track and the internal waters of the Port of Gdynia in order to enable the entry of larger ships, with a maximum length of 400 m, width of 58 m and a maximum draught of -15 m (the current maximum draught is -13 m), and to improve navigation conditions and the safety status of hydrotechnical structures.

Works on the implementation of the first stages of the investment are already in progress since September 2017. The first element was the reconstruction of Obrotnica no. 2 together with the reconstruction of Piersu no. III and the black-burning works. As part of the works, the floating dock at the Naval Shipyard will also be moved to a new location.

The basic task was to build a turntable no. 2 with significantly increased parameters.

– the diameter will be increased from 400 m to 480 m.

In order to increase the navigational safety of ships and maintain the appropriate width of the Canal, it is also necessary to widen the Pilot Entrance to reach the width of 140 m at the bottom and to rebuild the Northern Ostrog in the area of the War Port and the Port Quay with a waveguard. At the same time, the Maritime Office in Gdynia will perform works on the approach track to the port.

– We are pleased that thanks to the EU funds we are changing the infrastructure of the Gdynia port in order to maintain competitiveness on the port services market – emphasizes Adam Meller, President of the Management Board of the Port of Gdynia SA. – This investment will enable container vessels serving direct oceanic connections with the Far East and other continents to call at the Gdynia port.

– The deepening of the approach track and internal waters of the Port of Gdynia

is directly connected with the reconstruction of the internal entrance of the Port. At the same time, these investments make it necessary to carry out works related to securing port wharves: Norweski, Słowackiego, Włoskiego – adds Grzegorz Dyrmo, Vice-President of the Port of Gdynia Authority SA.

The scope of the necessary works to be carried out during the implementation of the main hydrotechnical investment projects, I mean: deepening of the approach track and internal waters of the Port of Gdynia – stages I and III and reconstruction of the wharf in the Port of Gdynia – stages II and III, is enormous – to put it directly – the individual wharfs will literally be built anew, it will be particularly visible during the reconstruction of the entire Helskie wharf. It should be remembered that the Port will continuously serve incoming vessels, which is an additional challenge related to the coordination of construction works and ship traffic.

The total cost of the project

of dredging the approach track and internal waters of the Port of Gdynia and the reconstruction of the quays is estimated at PLN 556,940,377.83 gross, while the subsidy from the European Union funds amounts to PLN 556,940,377.83: PLN 273,000,000,000.

During the meeting – 4 July this year. – In the seat of the Port of Gdynia Authority SA a contract was signed with Wuprohyd Sp. z o.o. concerning the development of a construction design and detailed reconstruction of the internal waters of the Port of Gdynia. The Wuprohyd company has 40 weeks to complete the task and must obtain the final decision on the building permit together with the author’s supervision during the period of performing the construction works.

rel (Port Gdynia SA)
photo: Port Gdynia