Poland Will Invest $2.3B for Container Terminal in the West Near Germany
The Polish government mapped out a new plan for what it is calling the most ambitious project in the 75-year history of the Szczecin Swinoujscie Seaports Authority. It calls for an investment of approximately $2.3 billion to create a large container terminal on the Baltic near Germany that will be a regional center for distribution inland and to neighboring countries.
"We have developed a new development concept for the port of ?winouj?cie from scratch, because the previous one was flawed, lacked guaranteed funding, and was delayed,” said Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Arkadiusz Marchewka. “We will build the Pomeranian Cape, the most ambitious project in the 75-year history of the Szczecin-?winouj?cie Seaports Authority and one of the most spectacular investments in the Baltic Sea. The Deepwater Container Terminal will be the main, but not the only, part of this massive project.”
The project is part of the ongoing efforts to expand the port facilities in the region. The port authority has highlighted improvements at its facilities for breakbulk and designs for a massive staging area of the offshore wind industry.
Pomeranian Cape will entail 186 hectares of new land and provide three kilometers of new quay. It will have a 17-meter deep port basin. The Deepwater Container Terminal will be able to handle the largest containerships in the world with 1.3 km of quay and a transshipment capacity of two million TEU. The terminal will be able to handle three containerships simultaneously, including two 400-meter vessels and one 250-meter vessel. The port will be able to handle both commercial ships and naval vessels.
To support the new facility, the government is also planning a new road and rail system. They will also ensure that it is a green port with zero-emission transshipment technologies and a shore-based ship power supply system. The plan calls for connections to Central Europe, including Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, and Hungary.
“The Deepwater Container Terminal will be the main, but not the only, part of this massive project,” said Arkadiusz Marchewka, Deputy Minister of Infrastructure, responsible for the Maritime Economy at the Ministry of Infrastructure. “The world's largest container ships will dock at the port, ensuring Poland's budget revenue for decades. This investment will strengthen our country's security and Poland's presence at sea.”
The budget for the development of the new facility estimates that the Seaport Authority will be responsible for $405 million in the construction costs. In addition, the state is committing $1.9 billion for the land and seaway improvements. This will include deepening of 70 kilometers of the port’s approach freeway, as well as creating a new port basin and the land infrastructure.