On 22 December, the Baltic Container Terminal Gdynia officially inaugurated a new Short Sea service operated by Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), titled BALTIC NWC TO SPAIN AND PORTUGAL. Through calls at ports in several countries, the service provides a direct connection between Poland and the markets of the United Kingdom as well as Spain and Portugal, confirming the growing role of Polish ports in European and global maritime transport.

Although the service was officially inaugurated now, it actually commenced in early December. According to BCT, it was designed with an optimal port rotation, competitive transit times, and reliable Short Sea cargo handling in mind. The transit time between Poland and the United Kingdom is just four days (port-to-port), making this solution particularly attractive for importers and exporters seeking a stable and predictable transport alternative.

The service rotation includes the following ports:
Gdynia – Felixstowe – Antwerp – Le Havre – Bilbao – Gijón – Vigo – Sines

In addition, with the Short Sea market in mind, MSC has introduced 45HCPW containers to its offer, which are already available in Gdynia. This is intended to increase transport capacity and improve customers’ operational efficiency.

The first vessel deployed on the service was MSC Salina III (IMO: 9440150), sailing under the Portuguese Madeira flag. Built in 2009, the vessel is 212 metres long and 32 metres wide, with a capacity of 2,758 TEU.

This service is not the only MSC service that includes the container terminal at the Port of Gdynia on its route. This also applies to ocean services, reflecting the results of long-term efforts and demonstrating the growing importance of Polish maritime infrastructure in the global supply chain. For Gdynia, this opens up numerous new opportunities, primarily increased cargo volumes—especially exports—as well as strengthening its position as a deepwater port. It is also expected to provide momentum for progress on the Outer Port project and the Red Road (Droga Czerwona), aimed at increasing capacity and throughput, developing intermodal infrastructure, and supporting Poland’s strategy to diversify access to foreign markets in Europe and on other continents.