A new sixth berth with a crude oil handling capacity of around 9 million tonnes per year will be built at Naftoport, part of the PERN Group, by 2028. According to PERN, the investment will strengthen Poland’s position as the region’s energy hub, capable of handling crude oil transit to neighbouring countries.

On Wednesday, Naftoport announced on LinkedIn that, together with the Gdańsk Port Authority, it is beginning an expansion of the oil terminal in the Northern Port in Gdańsk. The company emphasised that this is a strategic decision and another step in developing its transshipment infrastructure, which will enhance the handling of petroleum products in the Gdańsk port.

The information about the planned investment at Naftoport was confirmed by PERN in response to questions from PAP regarding the project. PERN stated that on 28 October this year, the Shareholders’ Meeting of Naftoport decided to begin the implementation stage of the construction of the new “W” transshipment berth. In the coming weeks, the contract with the general contractor is expected to be signed, while construction and the start of operations are planned for the second half of 2028.

PERN also highlighted that in recent years Naftoport has recorded record handling volumes – for example, in 2024 it serviced 489 tankers and more than 40 million tonnes of crude oil and fuels. The growing demand for maritime imports has been the key impulse for the construction of the new “W” berth, which will increase the terminal’s operational capabilities and throughput.

The “W” berth will be the sixth berth at Naftoport and the second capable of handling the world’s largest tankers – VLCCs (Very Large Crude Carriers) over 300 metres long with a draught of 15 to 17 metres. “The project includes the construction of a quay, pipe racks, technical infrastructure, access roads and environmental protection systems. The project budget, jointly financed by Naftoport and the Gdańsk Port Authority, is approximately PLN 0.5 billion,” PERN said.

It added that the new berth will have a handling capacity of around 9 million tonnes per year, and thanks to the investment, Naftoport’s nominal crude oil capacity – assuming full availability of installations – will reach as much as 49 million tonnes annually. “The volume handled at Naftoport will allow PERN Group to fully meet the crude oil needs of domestic refineries as well as the volume handled for foreign refineries,” PERN noted.

The company also pointed out that a strategic objective of the project is to ensure the operational and business continuity of Naftoport and the long-term secure functioning of the company’s terminal. The “W” berth will allow four large crude oil tankers to moor simultaneously, significantly shortening the full port service cycle. It will also allow modernisation and repairs at other berths while maintaining the terminal’s operational continuity, reducing the risk of failure.

According to PERN, from Poland’s perspective, the expansion of Naftoport with the “W” berth will significantly contribute to strengthening energy security by increasing import independence for seaborne crude oil supplies and enhancing the energy system’s resilience to “geopolitical disruptions.” “Thanks to this investment, Poland will gain new handling capacity and further strengthen its position as the region’s energy hub, ready to handle crude oil transit to neighbouring countries,” PERN assessed. The company also recalled that Naftoport is a key component of Poland’s energy infrastructure.

PERN, headquartered in Płock, is a strategic entity for Poland’s energy security. The company manages critical infrastructure, including transporting crude oil via pipelines in Poland to the Orlen Group refineries in Płock and Gdańsk, as well as to the refineries in Schwedt and Leuna in Germany. It also manages the storage of crude oil and liquid fuels at its bases across the country.

Throughout Poland, PERN manages a network of over 2.5 thousand kilometres of crude oil and product pipelines, operates 19 fuel depots with a total capacity of about 2.7 million cubic metres, and four crude oil storage bases with a total capacity of more than 4.1 million cubic metres.

Naftoport, headquartered in Gdańsk and responsible for crude oil and petroleum product transshipment, is a company in which PERN holds a 66.67% stake. “The company is a key element of the logistics chain for crude oil deliveries to Polish and German refineries, as well as for transit and land–sea transshipment of petroleum products,” PERN emphasised. Other shareholders in Naftoport include Orlen, Port Północny, J&S Service & Investment, and the State Treasury.

mb/ mrr/