Major investment in the Port of Gdansk — and this is just the beginning 

€1.9 BILLION INVESTMENT IN THE PORT OF GDANSK
The next five years at the Port of Gdansk will see the implementation of the largest-ever investment programme, in terms of both scope and expense.

The programme initiated by the Port of Gdansk Authority and worth over €200 million, which will cover almost the entire area of the port, including the Inner and Outer Port, will be partly funded from European Union (EU) funds, with more than half — that is, €114 million — to come from the budget of the Port of Gdansk Authority SA.

The programme will include strategic development for the Port of Gdansk estimated at €119 million as well as investment to meet the current requirements of the port totalling €81 million. Naturally, the realization of some of the work will ultimately depend on the decision to grant EU funds. However, it is assumed for the moment that the most costly period of the investment will be between 2017–2019. During this three-year period, over €140 million of investment can be expected.

Some of the investment projects are already under way, such as the expansion of the intermodal container terminal at the Szczecinskie Quay, which by the end of this year will have standardized the handling capacity of the terminal (i.e. storage, handling and loading).

Investment work is also in progress at the Oliwskie Quay (universal quay), which will be thoroughly modernized both on land and in water. On the right bank of the port, by the Coal Pier, investment is currently ongoing to strengthen 24 hectares at the base of the basin used by the largest ships calling at the port to charge coal cargo. However, the investment process is being conducted in such a way so as not to interfere with the operation of the pier or obstruct the handling berth.

The electricity and power infrastructure at the port is also being modernized. The increasing demand for power supply at the port, the growing number of customers, and finally the expansion of the terminals located in the Outer Port, necessitated the modernization and improvement of this infrastructure. To this end, the Port of Gdansk has undertaken a difficult investment requiring medium voltage cabling to be installed under the port channel in order to link the energy systems on both sides of the Dead Vistula river. In addition, the investment includes upgrading the systems for securing and controlling the Main Switching Station in the Outer port, the substation and the MV grid. As a result, the project will contribute to an improved efficiency of 30MW for the electricity supply at the port.

These are just a few of over 100 investment projects planned for the current year.

The port still has many planned investment projects for the future, but among them the two largest in terms of scope are the modernization of the fairway in the Inner Port and the road and rail networks in the Outer Port.

The first project, worth nearly €120 million will include the reconstruction of 16 quay sections at the Inner Port with a total length of 5.8km and the deepening of the whole port channel, which aims to improve navigation conditions in this part of the port. The outcome of the investment will be a 90-metre-wide fairway in the Inner Port with a depth of 12m, ensuring efficient and safe navigation between the port entrance to the turntable at Remontowa Shipyard. Further on, in the so-called Kashubian Channel, navigation conditions will be slightly different with a track width of 75 metres and a depth of 10.8m. Thus, in both parts of the track maximum permissible parameters of vessels will be 250m long from the entrance of the port to the Kashubian Channel and to 190 metres in the Kashubian Channel.

The Inner Port is a very important part of the port, which each year services around 2,000 merchant ships, not to mention at least another thousand vessels which call at the port for other purposes or in transit. The Inner Port is also a key area from the point of view of ensuring a universal range of services. For example, last year nearly 70 different types of goods 

belonging to each of the six main cargo groups were handled here. This totalled 7.5mt (million tonnes) in volume, nearly one quarter of the annual tonnage record for the whole port.

Let us not forget about the most developing part of the port — the Outer Port. Increased transshipment (nearly 25t of goods in 2014), the ongoing expansion of the terminal and the planned construction of new ones, naturally created a need to ensure the development and modernization of road and rail access infrastructure. The investment will include the construction and reconstruction of streets with a total length of 7.2km and rail tracks with a total length of 10km. The total value of all works involving the Port of Gdansk Authority, covering an area of approximately 70 hectares, has been estimated initially at €26 million. Moreover, the investment will cover another 29 hectares for similar works on adjacent urban areas and will require another €42 million.

These investments by the Port of Gdansk Authority, despite amounting to the considerable sum of over €200 million, are just the beginning. A further €1.6 billion will be added over the next five years by companies operating in the areas of port. These include PERN currently undertaking the construction of the oil terminal, DCT Gdansk SA which is expanding the container terminal. Gdanskie Zaklady Nawozow Fosforowych Fosfory Sp. z o.o. (Gdansk Fertilizers Plant) is also planning to invest nearly €25 million in the port. It is worth recalling at this point that the PAGO company is also building some cold storage facilities. The OT Logistics company is constructing a deepwater grain terminal — as recently as 21 September, they signed a preliminary agreement with the port authority in this regard. If we add to this the ever expanding Pomeranian Logistics Centre, the value of which is estimated at €240 million, or investment projects in access infrastructure, including the modernization of the 226 railway line along with the construction of a railway bridge over the Dead Vistula river, it can be stated that at present the Port of Gdansk is one of the most frequently mentioned areas in the context of the largest and most important infrastructure investments in the region.

Investments to improve access to the port from the sea are also exceptionally important and are planned by the Maritime Authority to include: the modernization of the entrance to the Inner Port in Gdansk as well as the modernization of the breakwaters at the Northern Port.

To summarize, for the first time in the Port of Gdansk’s over 1,000-year history, the next few years will see the accumulation of infrastructure investment affecting all modes of transport crossing the Port of Gdansk — the country’s largest logistics hub. The whole of the planned investment is a response to the challenges posed by a growing market demand for maritime transport in the Baltic. As expected, the Port of Gdansk over the next few years could even witness a tripling of the annual volume of cargo. Accordingly, it is necessary to carry out this investment programme that will soon completely transform the port we know at the moment. The almost €2 billion to be invested over the next five years in infrastructure will undoubtedly influence the final form of the port — an area that is set to become a powerful, modern and competitive Europe distribution centre reloading, the initial link in the Baltic-Adriatic corridor, which will be the logistical locomotive not only of this region, but the entire country.

The Port of Gdansk, aware of the huge potential and interest in Gdansk, in the port development strategy for 2027 also took into account some further multibillion-dollar initiatives. One of them is an extended development of the port by silting the waters of the Gulf of Gdansk. The new investment called Outer or Central Port is a project set to begin after 2020, thus opening up a new operational phase as a port of the V generation — safe, modern, competitive and constituting one of the most important sources of Polish Gross Domestic Product. 

 
 
Maritime Bulk Terminal Gdynia — bulk expertise in action in the Baltic region  

Maritime Bulk Terminal Gdynia Ltd (Morski Terminal Masowy Gdynia Sp. z o.o. — MTMG) in Poland is located at the main entrance to the Port of Gdynia and is directly connected to the railway and road communication systems.

Operating at the Port of Gdynia, MTMG – Morski Terminal Masowy Gdynia as a universal terminal renders 24h services of reloading, storing and sorting of bulk commodities like coal, coke, ore, grain and feedstuff, biomass, sugar, minerals, aggregates, fertilizers and also liquid cargoes (including chemicals of the 3rd, 6th, 8th and 9th classes according to the IMDG code), crude oil and its derivatives.

MTMG has been awarded ISO 9001:2009 and ISO 22000:2005 HACCP certificates granted by Polish Chamber of Foreign Trade Certification and Bureau Veritas Certification.

OHSAS 18000 is an international occupational health and safety management system specification. In Poland companies in most cases decide to introduce the certification of quality, environmental and food safety systems, according to HACCP, which are dedicated to clients of the certificated owner.

OHSAS 18001:2007, an Occupation Health and Safety Assessment Series for health and safety management systems, is dedicated to companies and personnel working inside the area of certificated owner. The standards for health and safety management systems are much more restrictive then for others, which causes the process of preparation arduous and expensive. Two years ago, MTMG — as the first in the port of Gdynia — started to implement the system by managing and overseeing the key areas: recognizing danger and risk rating, training systems, communication, operation control, emergency procedures, monitoring and enhancement of safety.

As a result of this extensive work, on 11 September 2014, MTMG’s Occupation Health and Safety System, was appreciated and recognized as compatible with OHSAS 18001:2007 standards. The certificate testifies that MTMG promotes a safe and healthy work environment within its area. The certificate is proof that MTMG is a socially responsible company.

“This is highly satisfying for our terminal,” said Bogdan

Buczko, president of MTMG. “It is to the merit of all employees that MTMG gained the OHSAS 18001:2007 certificate, and it is proof of the importance of the experience and engagement of all workers to the success of the terminal.”

MTMG boasts a wide range of equipment, including:

  • three electronic truck scales for weighing vehicles up to 60 tonnes;
  • two railway wagon scales;
  • hoppers, wheel loaders, caterpillar bulldozers, tractors, platform and box trailers, forklift trucks;
  • Liebherr 550 self-propelled grab-hook crane with a lifting capacity of 124 tonnes;
  • Sennebogen self-propelled grab-hook cranes with lifting capacities of 24 tonnes;
  • external parking for 122 trucks; and v TV monitoring system.

 

CARGOES HANDLED

MTMG Terminal is a multi-purpose terminal and, as such, it handles bulk products that include coal, coke, agri products (such as soya bean meal, wheat, rape seed, maize, rye), feldspar, aggregates, crushed stones, sugar and so forth. This list will continue to grow, as MTMG aims to be able to handle any bulk goods that its customers require. In 2014, MTMG handled approximately 5.3mt (million tonnes) of bulk cargo. The majority of the bulk cargoes related to imported/exported coal, imported soya bean meal, and exported wheat.

In terms of liquid cargoes, MTMG handles these at its two dedicated quays. They include: ether, xylene, diesel, n-butanol, white spirit gasoline, hydro wax, paraxylene and many others including chemicals of the 3rd, 6th, 8th and 9th classes according to the IMDG code). MTMG is also able to handle general cargo.

MTMG’s bulk cargoes fluctuate to some extent, in response to changes in some markets. The soya bean meal, imported coal and feldspar markets are relatively stable, while exported wheat, coal/coke and imported aggregates fluctuate rather more.  
 

TECHNOLOGICAL EXPERTISE

MTMG is a constantly growing terminal and continually strives to achieve excellence. Continuous investments enable improvement of handling processes, thereby enhancing the quality of its services, which is one of the main strengths of the company. The terminal has a four-chamber automated warehouse with loading and unloading technology located on the Silesian Quay, designed for storage of agricultural products with a total capacity of approximately 60,000 tonnes. The warehouse has four loading stations, each equipped with an electronic weighing system. It is connected through bridge conveyors system with the warehouse situated on the Swedish Quay allowing for flexible surface disposal.

The warehouse on the Swedish Quay has a loading station equipped with an electronic weighing system. Unloading technology efficiency is 1,200 tonnes per hour.

GLOBAL REACH

In terms of bulk customers, MTMG’s reach is truly global. It has agreements with companies all over the world. This customer base is stable.

COPING IN A COMPETITIVE MARKET

MTMG Terminal strives to remain competitive against direct competitors such as the Port of Gdansk, Szczecin and Swinoujscie, as well as other companies within the Port of Gdynia itself. The company remains competitive by offering a universal, modern terminal that offers high quality, customized services with stable, competitive tariffs.

QUAYS AT THE MTMG TERMINAL

Dutch Quay

 

  • length 500m;
  • maximum vessel length 300m;
  • draught 13m;
  • warehouses 2,341m2;
  • covered stockyards 1,241m2;
  • open stockyards 12,135m2;
  • equipment: six grab-hook cranes with lifting capacities ranging from 10–16 tonnes; and v railway weighbridge.

 

Swedish Quay

 

  • length 444m;
  • maximum vessel length 300m;
  • draught 13m;
  • warehouse 19,972m2;
  • open stockyards 13,411m2;
  • equipment: five grab-hook cranes with lifting capacities
  • ranging from 10–40 tonnes; v truck weighbridge; and
  • railway weighbridge.

 

Silesian Quay

 

  • length 353m;
  • maximum vessel length 250m;
  • draught 8.50m;
  • equipment: two grab-hook cranes with lifting capacities of 10 tonnes;
  • warehouse 10,920m2.
  • open stockyards 12,138m2.

 

Southern Pier and Danish Quay

 

  • length 170m;
  • maximum vessel length 150m;
  • draught:9.10m;
  • warehouses 3,860m2;
  • open stockyards 51,775m2;
  • handles liquid bulk cargoes, including the 3rd, 6th, 8th and 9th classes according to the IMDG code;
  • equipment: dedicated tanking installation for handling liquid bulk commodities;
  • pipelines: L1 (heated); L2/L3;
  • pumping station;
  • railway handling station for cisterns; and v two truck weighbridges.

 

Liquid Fuels Reloading Post

The terminal also offers operating and technical services for the Liquid Fuels Reloading Post on the breakwater.

This post serves tankers with overall lengths from 100m to 210m and draughts up to 11m. 
 
 
Port of Grenaa strengthens its position with new facilities and equipment  

The Port of Grenaa Ltd. is investing in continued growth, which reinforces its position as a bulk port.

Two impressive large warehouses have been built on Plutovej, in the industrial port at the Port of Grenaa. Both warehouses are 2,000m2 and 12 metres high. The combination of the two new bulk warehouses and the new Gottwald crane the port invested in last year will further strengthen the efficiency and the competitiveness of the port.

The warehouses are close to the quay and have particularly large gates, which makes access optimal with both trucks and tractor loaders. The warehouses, from day one, have been an asset for the port’s clients, which transport bulk freight over the quay in Grenaa, according to key account manager at Port of Grenaa Ltd., KP Mehlsen.

“The sides of the warehouses consist of 4–5-metre-high concrete elements, so there is room to stack the goods. The floors are cast in concrete and processed to be resistant to the many kinds of goods that will pass through the warehouses — for example salt, which can be very hard on regular concrete floors,” Mehlsen explains further. The warehouses are also suitable for dry goods like corn, fatty substances and wooden pellets — in short, every kind of bulk freight that cannot be left outdoors.

SECURING THE FUTURE AND MEETING CURRENT NEEDS

As well as being a reaction to the growing demand for storage, the construction of the warehouses also stems from the port’s plans — which include a range of other initiatives — to ensure that it establishes a strong bulk handling presence.

With its two Gottwald mobile cranes, the Port of Grenaa is increasing its effectiveness, which will help it to attract more and bigger ships than previously. It is also planning to increase its capacities so that it can meet the needs of its current and future customers, in terms of volumes. 

 
Good news for Port of Kalundborg: 51% increase in turnover  

Denmark’s Port of Kalundborg experienced a significantly higher cargo turnover in the first half of 2015, which of course is reflected in higher sales and improved results.

The cargo turnover in the first half was 765,300 tonnes, an increase of +51% compared with the same period last year.
 Major grain exports out of Kalundborg were the principal drivers of this figure. The Port of Kalundborg estimates a total bulk throughput of more
 than 1,000,000 tonnes of which the largest part is grain for export. The relatively large quantities of grain have been delivered by smaller coasters in Kalundborg from other Danish provincial ports for transshipment to larger tonnage units for export. The Port of Kalundborg notes that even though it is the grain exports that draw the largest increase in cargo volumes, a significant increase in other categories such as other bulk and liquid chemicals have also contributed to the good result. Furthermore, the development in container turnover is favourable. All in all, this represents a very satisfactory result for the first half for the Port of Kalundborg.  

 
 
LNK Industries’ ongoing infrastructure improvements strengthen the Port of Riga  

LNK Industries construction and manufacturing group continues to develop infrastructure objects in the Freeport of Riga in Latvia.

The Freeport of Riga is a significant part of global and regional cargo supply chains and passenger traffic network in the Baltic Sea region, providing safe and reliable services. An integral part of the city, the port makes a strong contribution to the growth of Latvia’s economy. The port is driven by high performance standards and continuously strives to improve both the quality and breadth of services to clients.

LNK Industries will continue to develop the Freeport of Riga as a leading port of the Baltic States and as a source of real prosperity for Latvia. To ensure a bright future, it will:

  • strengthen the customer base and seek to avoid dependency on any one cargo type;
  • develop a sustainability framework to ensure environmental and social issues are fully integrated in its business;
  • invest in new technologies and employ innovative approaches which enhance the quality and efficiency of LNK Industries’ services; and
  • work closely with the government of Latvia, the city of Riga and its inhabitants to create a seamless, integrated transport infrastructure.
  • Negotiations on the increase of the capacity of the already existing objects, as well as on the construction of new cargo transhipment terminals, are under way.

 

In the Freeport of Riga, it is planned to develop the potassium terminal with a capacity of two million tonnes. Within the terminal, the cargo will be transported via railway, will be stored at the terminal and then loaded on ships for export. It is planned to service ships with capacities of up to 60,000dwt.

Preparations for the construction project of the grain terminal for sea shipping of the grain crops grown in Latvia are under way.  
 
 
Klaipeda State Seaport — the pride of Lithuania  
Klaipeda Port, with its ever-increasing capacity, is a source of pride in Lithuania and the Baltic Sea countries. Klaipeda is a core port in the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) and a wide transit link between European Union and CIS countries. An efficient maritime industry makes the port a catalyst for Lithuania’s economy.

HIGHLY COMPETITIVE

Average annual growth of bulk cargo handled in the Klaipeda Port has been 11.12% over the past ten years. This figure shows clearly the success of the port’s continually increasing specialization and competitiveness.

OPTIMAL USE OF SPACE

Technical facilities of the Bulk Cargo Terminal

The dry bulk terminals in Klaipeda Port are extremely efficient in their use of space. For instance, the terminal occupying 50,000m2 (425-metre berth with 13 metres of water depth at the berth, making it possible to handle vessels with maximum draughts of up to 11.5 metres) handled 6,324,494.90 tonnes of  dry bulk in 2014, meaning that it achieved a land use efficiency at the quay of 126.5 tonnes per square metre.

The warehousing facilities are located adjacent to berths and include five covered hipped-roof warehouses of arched type with a total capacity up to 100,000 tonnes of uniform mineral fertilizers.

Two railcars unloading stations are able to unload four railroad wagons at a time, with a total unloading rate of 450 wagons a day.

The terminal is capable of loading two dry bulk cargo vessels at a time by using its own shore-based loading equipment with capacities of 750tph (tonnes per hour) and 1,200tph.

INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY

Since 1992, the Bega company has handled the greatest volumes of diverse bulk cargo in Klaipeda Port.

The company specializes in handling dry and liquid fertilizers, minerals, agricultural products, oils, cement, soda ash and other bulk cargo, warehousing these cargoes in its own terminals.

The total length of deep water berths is almost 2,000 metres. 

Depth at the berths is 11.5 to 13 metres. Storage capacity for dry bulk products in covered warehouses is 525,000 tonnes.

The company operates a modern and efficient port handling equipment: powerful shiploaders, cranes, conveyors, elevators, covered rail loading and unloading stations, etc. It uses the developed inner railway network and its own locomotives. All those factors ensure rapid and high-quality cargo handling services using all possible technological schemes.

UNIQUE DRY BULK CARGO TERMINAL

Technologically (technologies are invented by engineers of this stevedoring company), the terminal is able to handle exports and imports simultaneously. The terminal complex consists of two connected warehouses with a total floor area of 20,000m2 and 160,000m3 volume of storage, covered railway wagons and trailers loading/unloading station, high-productivity mobile shiploader and 120-tonne lifting capacity cranes on the pier. Warehouses, loading/unloading stations and the pier are connected with two-way belt conveyor galleries. The warehouses are divided into eight separate sections, which can accommodate cargo of different types.

Terminal capacity and technical capabilities enable the company to carry out full-fledged hub-port functions and to distribute the large quantities of bulk from Post-Panamax type ships to smaller vessels over the Baltic ports.  

Such a modern, technologically equipped terminal providing diverse options has never been seen in other Baltic ports.

INERT BULK CARGO TERMINAL

It is possible to store up to 120 000 tonnes of cargo in the four sections of this terminal: apatite, phosphorus, and other bulks. The loading process is automated, an exact and productive technological software is used. There are systems for automated dust collection; weighing; and crushing. Mechanisms to sift and collect metal parts are installed in the conveyor lines.

There is a modern loading station for soda in the inert materials terminal, which makes it possible to preserve the features of the cargo during loading under any weather conditions.

DRY BULK FERTILIZER TERMINAL

There are mechanized covered warehouses with capacities of 35,000, 40,000, 50,000 and 60,000 tons tonnes in the dry fertilizer terminal. There are also three separate wagon unloading stations, transporter galleries, and two mobile loaders. With the help of mobile fertilizer loaders that are mounted on the berths No. 69 and 72, cargoes are loaded to all large tonnage vessels without changing the mooring place of a vessel.

Separate sections for the storage of different types of fertilizers are in the covered warehouses.  
 
 
350 full vessel coatings achieved with HEMPAGUARD® antifouling product  

Just two years after its launch, major manufacturer of marine coatings – Hempel – has announced that its revolutionary award-winning antifouling product HEMPAGUARD® has now been applied as a full vessel coating to more than 350 ships.

HEMPAGUARD® was launched two years ago during London International Shipping Week 2013 after a five-year development programme, and is Hempel’s first product to use its proprietary ActiGuard® technology that integrates silicone-hydrogel and full diffusion control of biocides in a single coating. So confident is Hempel of its performance that the company offers the industry’s first performance satisfaction guarantee.

To date, feedback from
customers confirms that their vessels have remained significantly cleaner, and for longer, than they’ve experienced with any other antifouling product.

Claes Skat-Roerdam, Marketing Manager, Fouling Control, Hempel A/S commented: “We are delighted with the success of HEMPAGUARD®, it really is a strong endorsement of the protection properties of our product. The combination of silicone-hydrogel and biocide science has revolutionized antifouling technology to deliver excellent fouling resistance — including up to 120 days during idle periods — plus fuel savings of between four and six per cent on average. The fact that more than 350 vessels have now been coated with HEMPAGUARD® proves the value of our new coating”.  

The coating was introduced to the shipping industry against a backdrop of rising bunkering costs, tightening environmental regulations and the introduction of mandatory Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plans (SEEMP). In October 2014, HEMPAGUARD® won Shipping Efficiency’s prestigious Environmental Technology award for making “a significant contribution to environmental impact reduction or prevention to ships.”

ABOUT HEMPEL

Hempel is a renowned coatings supplier for the decorative, protective, marine, container and yacht markets. From wind turbines and bridges to hospitals, ships, power stations and homes, our coatings protect man-made structures from the corrosive forces of nature. Hempel owns, among other companies, Crown Paints.

With a focus on R&D, advanced production techniques and professional coatings advice, it works around the globe to help keep its customers’ investments safe and attractive for a long time.

Hempel’s working concept is simple: curious, creative and self-critical, and always aiming to create extra value for its customers.