Port Of Gdynia

Port of Gdynia, Poland

April 28, 2008

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Port of Gdynia is one of the fastest growing trade centers in Poland. Its geographical location to both the Baltic coastline as well as rail links to greater Europe have provided a significant boost to its standing as a major mode in both continental and intercontinental trade.

This report will explore several areas of port operations including its users, the many services and operating options it offers, and pricing. It will also discuss the beneficial impact it has had locally. Additionally, it will look at the governing structure and explore the subsidiaries that make it possible to run. Looking to the future, this report will list and give details about the port’s investments and direction. Finally, it will discuss the manner in which the port deals with issues such as pollution and security that have an impact on many external parties.

The Baltic coastline makes up 60 percent of the entire Polish seaboard. The city of Gdynia, along with Gdansk and Sopot, make up the Pomeranian region, which is located at the northern tip of the Baltic coastline. This tri-city region is classified as a metropolitan center and is one of the most economically active areas in Poland.

The past 10 years have seen exports increase two and a half times. Along with the addition of new routes up and down the coast, the Port of Gdynia has flourished and become one of the major trade centers on Poland. The port is used by several of the world’s major shipping lines (see Table 1). The port also accommodates ferry passengers with two state of the art vessels. These ferries, the Stena Line Polska and the Stena Baltica, transport passengers between Gdynia and Karlskrona in Sweden daily (see Table 2). As the Port of Gdynia is a multi terminal port, there are several companies that provide an array of services to customers. The services offered are designed to keep the port competitive in the Baltic region.

WUZ вЂ" Shipping and Port Services Gdynia Company, Ltd. is a subsidiary owned by the Port of Gdynia Authority. It is responsible for organizing and executing many of the services the port offers. These include: towing, mooring, warehousing, and heavy transport. WUZ also assists the port’s employees with classes at the Maritime Training Center. Additionally, WUZ operates a fleet of eight tugboats, two barges, and two pontoons.

All tugs range between 1,200 and 4,000 horsepower. Heros, Odys, and Odyseuz are equipped with firefighting capabilities and can pull 34 tons bollard. Kronos, Herakles, Mars, Mocarz, and Hektor also have firefighting capability and can pull 34 tons bollard.

The two barges can store 5,200 tons. These are used to store aluminum ore and soybeans.

There are also two 40.46 meter pontoons in WUZ’s fleet. These are utilized to move heavy loads to Germany, Ireland, France, the UK, and the Netherlands.

Dalmor, formerly a deep-sea fishing company, now handles operations at the 660 meter long English Quay. It is equipped with five cranes, each having a loading capacity of up to 6.3 tons. Its warehouses can store up to 5,000 tons in controlled temperature, and it also has reefer warehouses that are capable of deep freeze (minus 30Ð'o Celsius) and can accommodate 12,000 tons.

Dalmor also has a veterinary inspection center, allowing them to accept animal origin goods and comply with EU regulations. Other features that Dalmor boasts are over 10,000 square meters of open storage for timber, steel, etc. Additionally it services ships at the port’s quays for repairs and maintenance.

Petrolinvest Ltd., located on the Slaskie Quay, handles the loading of propane and butane gas onto tank wagons and cisterns. They offer efficient loading as well as forwarding and customs services. Igloport Ltd. is a five level cold storage facility with a capacity of 12,000 tons. Temperatures can vary from -28Ð'o Celsius to +5Ð'o Celsius depending on the customer’s need. Lacpol provides cold storage for dairy products. It contains 7,000 pallets and has temperatures ranging from -18Ð'o Celsius to -25Ð'o Celsius. It is also equipped with a computer control system. Olvit Trade Ltd. handles and stores grain, fodders, and oils. They own storage tanks which can accommodate 5,000 tons of oil or grain and 8,000 tons if feed.

In addition to these companies, each of the Baltic terminals located within the Port if Gdynia offers customers several benefits. The Baltic Container Terminal handles approximately 400,000 TEUs per year with a capacity for handling 750,000. It is road and rail connected. There is a 20,000 square meter storehouse for short-term storage. It has five ship-to-shore cranes and 17 RGTs, as well as two rail mounted gantry cranes. It also provides stripping, storing, refer maintenance, and general repairs services.

The Baltic General Terminal has nine quays and is dedicated to ro-ro activities. Special ro-ro technology was instituted in 2001 to meet market demand. The terminal has three ramps, two sheds, open storage for 239 chassis, a storage area for containers, and a parking area that can hold 120 trucks. Additionally, the terminal has a 45 ton gantry crane, a 45 ton reach stacker, ro-ro trailers of 60 ton capacity, and fork lift trucks.

The Maritime Bulk Terminal of Gdynia Ltd. serves as a multi-purpose terminal in the port. It provides stevedoring for all the terminals and storage for all types of bulk commodities. It has rail and road connectivity and therefore is capable of handling several varieties of cargo including coal, coke, minerals, other dry bulks, liquid cargos, and crude and petroleum products. Its facilities include rail tank wagons and a pumping station, which is operated electronically. Its annual capacity is 4,000,000 tons.

The Port of Gdynia also operates two passenger ferry boats. The ferry terminal is on the west portion of the port. It operates between Gdynia and Karlskona in Sweden. This terminal has been significantly modified in recent years including an extension of the gateway and entrance. A new two level transport ramp was built and a new ramp system was installed to offer more efficient loading and unloading. It is equipped to handle 1,000,000 passengers per year.

Additional services provided by the port include pilotage, towage, hazardous cargo handling, hospitality accommodations, tourist information, and concierge services.

The port of Gdynia offers also offers several unique operating options that cater to the various needs of its