Port of Gdynia has announced that the Helskie Quay (Nabrzeże Helskie), at which the BCT container terminal operates, has been handed over for operational use following modernisation works.

The Helskie Quay was upgraded as part of a project designed to enable the Port of Gdynia to handle larger vessels than previously accommodated. The entire quay, measuring nearly 800 metres in length, has been deepened to 15.5 metres and comprehensively reconstructed. As a result, it can now berth container vessels with a draught of up to 14.5 metres and an LOA of up to 400 metres – the largest ships capable of entering the Baltic Sea.

“The commissioning of the Helskie Quay is an investment of strategic importance. With the support of EU funding, we are developing infrastructure that enhances the competitiveness of the Polish economy and strengthens the resilience of our supply chains in an unstable international environment. The Port of Gdynia is consistently upgrading its technical parameters to meet the challenges of modern logistics and the country’s economic security,” said Piotr Gorzeński, President of the Management Board of the Port of Gdynia Authority.

Works at the Helskie Quay commenced in 2023. The quay has been provided with a new structure incorporating reinforced foundations. Owing to the installation of an additional crane rail, larger ship-to-shore gantry cranes can now be operated along the berth. The technical utilities and road infrastructure have also been redeveloped. In total, approximately 7,500 tonnes of steel were driven, and around 80,000 cubic metres of dredged material were removed.

In its statement, the Port of Gdynia Authority emphasised that “a particular challenge was to design the structure so that it was extended towards the basin by only approximately 1.2 metres. This allowed the full operational capability of the existing container cranes to be maintained. Under a standard design solution, the equipment would not have been able to reach the outboard container rows on vessels.” The principal contractor for the modernisation was the company Doraco.

The Port stated that the value of the works carried out at the Helskie Quay amounted to approximately EUR 300 million. The project is co-financed by European Union funds. The Authority estimates that upon completion of all works included in the project, the cargo handling capacity of the Port of Gdynia will increase by approximately 5 million tonnes per annum.