During the Polish Ports 2030+ Congress in Sopot, the presidents of Poland's seaports of strategic importance to the national economy discussed the role of ports and the investments shaping their future.

The discussion on investments in seaports was introduced by a presentation delivered by Mateusz Kowalewski. Using an animation, he briefly presented the extensive list of infrastructure projects being implemented not only within the ports themselves, but also in their hinterland. He stressed that one should not overlook offshore wind energy, as well as the development of railways and road access, which often constitute transport bottlenecks. One of the most important investments is also the nuclear power plant being built in the Choczewo municipality, which will be complemented by the so-called MOLF, a jetty for unloading vessels transporting components for the construction of the power plant. Other energy investments were also included, such as photovoltaic farms being developed in Pomerania. The importance of smaller ports along the Central Pomeranian coast is also increasing, with their expansion driven primarily by the development of offshore wind energy.

– These are not dreams. These are real investments that have already been completed, are under construction, or will enter implementation over the coming years – Kowalewski emphasised.

Maciej Matczak summarised these investment programmes in numerical terms and described how the landscape of Poland's ports will change over the coming years. At present, the country's ports have a cargo handling capacity of around 200 million tonnes. Once all projects have been completed, an additional 63 million tonnes of handling capacity will be created.

– Within the next dozen or so years, the ports' handling capacity will reach approximately 270 million tonnes. We must make full use of this potential – Matczak said.

An important element of this outlook is also the shipbuilding industry, which complements port operations and enables the servicing of vessels that are key transport assets. Matczak noted that intensive work is also underway in this sector to expand the capabilities of individual shipyards. The same applies to offshore wind energy.

Matczak also spoke about employment potential. According to his estimates, the core of Poland's maritime sector currently employs around 170,000 people, while the industry's indirect impact on job creation is significantly greater and will continue to grow as further projects are implemented. The remaining issue is demand. Ports must have cargo to handle. Matczak pointed out that new shipping connections and trade routes are needed, while alternative marine fuels and new technologies that improve transport efficiency remain among the hottest topics.

– Ports exist to serve what happens both in their hinterland and on the foreland. We must focus on ensuring that this entire industrial ecosystem is as attractive as possible – Matczak said, citing the FSRU project as an example, which will primarily handle gas supplies for industrial facilities.

Smaller ports, particularly those along Poland's central coast, are also expected to become an increasingly important part of the transport system in the coming years.

Rail Access to the Port of Gdańsk, the Red Road to Gdynia, and Energy for Szczecin and Świnoujście

The presentation by Mateusz Kowalewski and Maciej Matczak served as an introduction to the first Wave Chat — a discussion between Kowalewski and the presidents of Poland's largest seaports. The panel featured Dorota Pyć, President of the Port of Gdańsk Authority, Piotr Gorzeński, President of the Port of Gdynia Authority, and Jarosław Siergiej, President of the Szczecin and Świnoujście Seaports Authority.

Mateusz Kowalewski asked the participants about their "must-have" investments without which their ports would be unable to continue operating or developing. Jarosław Siergiej stated that, from his perspective, securing affordable electricity for ports was the highest priority.

– Our idea is to enable ports to develop or acquire ready-made energy projects in the form of photovoltaic farms of an appropriate capacity located outside port areas, because we simply do not have sufficient space within the ports themselves – Siergiej said.

For the Port of Gdańsk, the most important issue over the coming years is improving rail and road access to both existing and planned deep-water terminals. According to President Dorota Pyć, the port's future development depends on this. She argued that the current transport infrastructure is no longer adequate given the port's capacity and performance achieved over the past two decades.

– If this infrastructure is not built, the Port of Gdańsk will not only stop developing, but we can also forget about our ambition of becoming an energy and industrial hub – President Pyć said.

Initial work on the project has already begun. Although the feasibility study is yet to be commissioned, with the Port of Gdańsk Authority preparing a tender to select its contractor, Dorota Pyć believes that the port island should ultimately be connected by a combined road and rail tunnel rather than another bridge.

Piotr Gorzeński, President of the Port of Gdynia, stressed that synchronising the numerous ongoing investments is essential. He divided them into three categories: the foreland, the port itself, and landside access. The first category concerns maritime access to the port, which, following the dredging of port basins and the approach channel, is no longer a concern for Gdynia, as the port is now capable of accommodating the largest vessels.

Several investment projects are currently underway within the port itself. One of them is the intermodal terminal, which Gorzeński believes will significantly enhance the port's attractiveness to shipping lines and terminal operators. The construction of a new liquid fuels handling berth is equally important, as it will not only increase the port's throughput capacity but also broaden the range of cargoes it can handle.

 – Our partner PERN is thinking not only about diesel fuel but also about other alternative fuels. What is especially important, particularly in the case of the Red Road, which had been discussed for decades, is that the project has finally started. This already makes discussions with potential new business partners much easier – Piotr Gorzeński said.

He added that the third area remains the most crucial — landside access to the port — particularly the Red Road project and Railway Line 201.

Resilient Ports

One of the current themes in discussions on ports is their resilience in the face of existing and emerging threats. The presidents largely view resilience as being built through infrastructure development and the creation of new operational capabilities.

– I understand resilience as the ability to return quickly to operational activity if something goes wrong. Ports need dual-use infrastructure capable of handling both conventional cargoes and military operations. We also attach great importance to cybersecurity. It is an ongoing issue. We pay close attention to ensuring that everything we have is protected as effectively as possible –  said Jarosław Siergiej.

Dorota Pyć of the Port of Gdańsk agreed with her counterpart from Szczecin and Świnoujście but proposed looking at resilience from a structural perspective as well.

– The structural approach means building resilience within the port itself. Above all, it means strengthening people through appropriate training and preparing staff to work efficiently and cope with everyday challenges. "I also believe we should pay particular attention to building resilience among our four largest ports, with the support of smaller ports – Dorota Pyć said.

She added that this concept could also be extended to cooperation with other European ports. In her view, solutions should be developed that enable real-time communication between individual ports and the exchange of operational information.

Piotr Gorzeński sees resilience in continuously improving the competitiveness of ports and seeking new operating models that make them attractive to shipping lines and terminal operators while allowing them to continue functioning even under extremely difficult conditions. One such solution is dual-use infrastructure.

– The Port of Gdynia already operates largely under the dual-use concept. Whenever we plan an investment, we immediately consider its dual-use potential. Our intermodal terminal, financed through the Military Mobility programme, is a good example – Gorzeński said.

He also pointed out that ports are already cooperating to address some of the most pressing challenges, including disruptions to GPS signals.

Threats and Opportunities

New opportunities have also emerged for ports through the SAFE programme, although, as Jarosław Siergiej noted, it was not designed specifically for seaports. Nevertheless, railways and road infrastructure may benefit from the programme, indirectly strengthening maritime logistics.

– The Port of Szczecin encompasses a much larger area than that managed by the port authority itself. Numerous other companies operate there and are implementing their own investment programmes aimed at strengthening resilience and security – President Siergiej pointed out.

Potential threats and the need to mitigate them are reshaping port ecosystems. In addition to their traditional logistics and commercial functions, ports have acquired new digital, energy and environmental dimensions, creating fresh challenges.

– Port authorities certainly do not get bored when it comes to overcoming various barriers. These barriers have different origins — some are regulatory, while others result from a lack of understanding of what a modern port actually is. Ports should be exempt from certain overly detailed regulations that currently prevent some investments from being implemented quickly enough – President Dorota Pyć argued.

In Gdynia, one of the main constraints is the limited availability of land, as the port is surrounded by urban development. Although new ideas and proposals for locating additional activities within the port continue to emerge, there is often simply no space available. This may change to some extent in the coming years.

– There is one element in our hinterland that should be integrated with the port — the Logistics Valley. It covers around 280 hectares and could potentially accommodate entirely new types of operations supporting the port. At present, these are undeveloped and poorly connected areas, but the Red Road will immediately unlock their investment potential – said Piotr Gorzeński, President of the Port of Gdynia.

President Gorzeński added that the port also plans to develop an 18-hectare parking facility there, integrated with an intelligent traffic management system.

– This is one of the first elements. The others are yet to come, and we remain open to new proposals – he concluded.