Investment boom in Polish ports

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The modernization and deepening of the Świnoujście – Szczecin pass to 12.5 meters will be a milestone in the development of both ports. This investment is accompanied by a number of additional projects that will equip the ports to receive up to twice the loads today, which in turn will accelerate the development of the entire region. – One job in the port generates three to eight in the vicinity – says Monika Wojnyak-Lewandowska, a spokeswoman for the Szczecin and Swinoujsee Seaports Authority. Investments are scheduled to be completed in 2023 and will amount to more than 1 billion PLN.

The epidemic has not negatively affected the investment operations of the Szczecin and Swinoujsee port complex. On the contrary, the investments that have been talked about for years are now being implemented. The modernization and deepening of the Świnoujście – Szczecin corridor to a technical depth of 12.5 m is nearing completion. This is a milestone in the development of ports. But in order to increase the number of cargo handled, the seaports authority in Szczecin and Swinoujssee must adapt the berths to the new technical depth of the corridor. On the other hand, we have to adapt it to accept a larger shipping mass – explains Monica Woźniak-Lewandowska, a spokeswoman for the Szczecin and Świnoujście Sea Ports Authority in an interview with Newseria Biznes.

The board of directors is currently one of the largest investors in the region. After the completion of the excavation work in the Świnoujście-Szczecin corridor, the last port will be able to call in ships with a tonnage of 45-50 thousand tons. Draft 11 m. Today, the stations there handle ships with draft up to 9.15 m with a tonnage of 25-30 thousand. In the area of ​​the Kaszubski Basin and the Dębicki Canal, work is underway to modernize and build new berths, which will be adjusted to the parameters of serving large ships.

– But not all. In both ports – in Szczecin and Schwinoujsee – the technical infrastructure is being modernized: water supply, sewage, electricity networks, that is, everything that cannot be seen with the naked eye, which affects the efficiency of the performance of port and port companies – lists the ZMPSi spokeswoman. – In turn, we are modifying the ferry terminal in Owenogese to handle multimodal transportation. We are also building an additional truck parking lot there so that cars won’t block access in the event of a traffic jam at the ferry terminal.

As he emphasizes, the project that will completely change the cargo structure of the port complex and stimulate the economy of the region is the construction of the deep-water container terminal in Owenogese. It will be built in the next few years and will eventually achieve an annual production capacity of about 2 million TEUs (Standard Container). An additional berth is also being built to redistribute LNG in its vicinity. An additional unloading and loading station is being built to service small ships: gas tankers, bunkers and feeders.

– The value of all investments is more than one billion zlotys. However, the access roads to the ports of Szczecin and Swinoujcie are also being modernized: railways along with PKP PLK and road access roads. The projects will end in 2023 and then the ports will enter a completely new quality of cargo handling – Monika Woźniak-Lewandowska convinces.

Currently, the seaports authority Szczecin and Świnoujście are responsible for 14 kilometers of berth lines, that is, 45 berths, on which 11 transshipment companies operate.

– When we finish the entire investment process, the number of serviced berths will also increase. It will be a huge qualitative and quantitative leap in terms of cargo handling in the Szczecin-Schönwigge port complex. The investments will not only affect the transshipment structure at the ports, but will also double the amount of cargo handled. Please note how this affects the economy of the region – says a spokesperson for ZMPSiŚ.

It is estimated that one job in the port generates three to eight jobs in the area around the port.

– If we create conditions for an increase in the number of transported cargo, then it will necessarily require more people to work, both at the port and to handle the entire logistics chain – emphasizes Monica and Winniak-Lewandowska.

From January to the end of July, the ports of Szczecin and Schönheugie handled nearly 19 million tons of cargo, the quantity of which is increasing at a double-digit rate. Cargo tonnage increases were mainly related to coal, ore, grain, general cargo, and containers. In the first half of the year, coal and ore recorded an increase of 35%. Compared to the first six months of 2020. Double-digit growth of 13% It also has general merchandise (including 16% ferries). Containers closed the first half of the year by 7.6 percent. Better compared to the same period last year, and similar results were recorded in bulk cargo such as grain and fuel.

During the coronavirus pandemic, ports have not had a single day of disruption, and in the entire year of 2020, the drop in transit freight was just 3%. The largest decline occurred in the period from January to August and periodically amounted to 7 to 8 percent. In contrast, from September to the end of 2020, ports have already recorded increases in transhipment.

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