PORTS & MARITIME LOGISTICS The entrance of the port in Kolobrzeg has been broadened. the port of Gdynia, which this year celebrates its 85th anniversary, will increase capacity in Gdynia alone to an estimated one million TEU a year. Also in Swinoujscie container turnover grows at a faster pace. VGN Terminal is called by container ships twice a week. The terminal has signed a contract with Icelandic Samskip that operates a service between Swinoujscie and Hull in England (45-feet containers) and poses a real threat to roadhauled trailer transports. Szczecin is also experiencing growth. So far containers have been handled mainly at the Czeskie quay but a new container terminal is being built on Ostrow Grabowski. The terminal is to be completed by the beginning of <strong>20</strong>08. Capacity is planned to reach 80,0000 TEU and further expansion will be possible. Become the leading container hub The ambition of the Port of Gdansk is to become the leading hub for container transshipments in the Baltic Sea region. In the Inner Port, situated at the Martwa Wisla, there is a smaller and well managed terminal, the Gdanski Terminal Kontenerowy (GTC). Handling is now restricted by lack of storage facilities, making it impossible to handle many containers at the same time. This may change when planned road investments have been completed. GTC has received a new efficient gantry crane (40 t), which will definitely increase efficiency in the terminal. The huge terminal site of Deep Water Terminal Gdansk, in Port Polnocny (<strong>No</strong>rthern Harbour), is completed, and the largest container ships in Baltic Sea trades will be able to call the terminal. A test call has been made by the 822-TEU Gotland of Football supporters seem to be far more convincing to Warsaw than the basic need of acceptable infrastructure for economic development. Team Lines, discharging 53 Hapaq-Loyd containers, and the terminal will by fully operational at the end of October <strong>20</strong>07. Capacity will be 500,000 TEU annually. Marek Czerkowski of Deep Water Terminal Gdansk predicts that the terminal will handle at least <strong>20</strong>,000 TEU during the rest of this year. Since the end of September <strong>20</strong>07, DCT Gdansk operates three ship-to-shore (STS) post-panamax gantry cranes and five RTGs. The next stage of DCT is to increase capacity at the deepwater terminal to at least one million TEUs a year. In the close neighbourhood of DCT, a 210-hectare logistics centre is developed. So far, only Team Lines and CMA CGM have openly expressed interest in the terminal. However, it is more than sure that the experienced team of English managers including Collin Chanter and Robin Macleod does not reveal all its plans. There is yet another question to deal with, and that is to connect the terminal and the entire port with the new A1 motorway. This is vital, but today there are some delays at the so-called Trasa Sucharskiego. The container terminals in Gdynia have the same problem. The increased container turnover means that development of the LESZEK SZyMANSKI road infrastructure is absolutely necessary. According to a report from the Supreme Chamber of Control, the ports of Gdansk and Gdynia lose USD 250 million a year because of the lack of the A1 motorway connection. Forwarders from southern Poland, Slovakia and The Czech Republic prefer the longer but much better German motorways and the ports of Hamburg, Bremerhaven or Rotterdam before the narrow and dangerous National Road <strong>No</strong>1, which is the only way to get from Gdansk to southern Poland. motorway ready by <strong>20</strong>10 In <strong>20</strong>05 work on the long awaited A1 was finally started. The first phase is a 90-kilometre road from Gdansk to Grudziadz. The next phase, Grudziadz–Torun, is to be started in the spring next year. The Polish government has promised that the entire motorway will be ready by the end of <strong>20</strong>10. Thanks to funds provided by EU in <strong>20</strong>06, construction of a connection with the port of Gdynia has begun. The 3.5 kilometre long road, which Gdynia has awaited for nearly 30 years, will connect the already existing ring way with Estakada Kwiatkowskiego, a two-lane road that leads to the port, shipyard and the navy base. The total investment is PLN 240 million (EUR 64 million). PLN 180 million (EUR 48 million) comes from EU funds, and the rest is covered by city of Gdynia. If everything goes according to plan, the road will be completed before <strong>20</strong>08. In Gdansk, Trasa Sucharskiego road will connect the port with A1. The project includes construction of an 800 metres long road tunnel under the port channel, the first such tunnel in Poland. The cost for the project, including the tunnel, splitlevel crossings and an eight kilometres long road, is estimated to PLN 1,2 billion (EUR 322 million), two thirds of the sum to be financed by EU and the city of Gdansk. Some say that the main reason behind the projects, finally giving the ports good road and railway connections with their hinterland, is the European Football Cup that will be held in Poland and Ukraine in <strong>20</strong>12. Football supporters demanding new roads seem to be far more convincing to Warsaw than the basic need of acceptable infrastructure for economic development. After all, the poor road and railway infrastructure is a result of the fact that this field has been neglected for many years. leszek szymanski 64 SCANDINAVIAN SHIPPING GAZETTE • OCTOBER 26, <strong>20</strong>07
Publishing day: <strong>No</strong>vember 23, <strong>20</strong>07 Deadline for space: <strong>No</strong>vember 12, <strong>20</strong>07 Maritime Denmark the <strong>No</strong>vember issue from Scandinavian Shipping Gazette Read about: Recruitment in Denmark Danish yard to build bulkcarriers The Danish Maritime Cluster in Göteborg The Danish Seamans Church in Algeciras (Spain) J. Lauritzen MAN/B&W And much more Tedd Juhlin +46-31 62 95 84 Odd-Einar Reseland +47-47 33 29 96 Stig-Johan Lundström +358-45 13 24 499 www.shipgaz.com Photo: Bent Mikkelsen
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