Naftoport and the Port of Gdańsk Authority signed a contract with Polish construction firm Doraco to build the new loading position at the Baltic Sea terminal, the energy ministry said.
Naftoport is one of Poland’s key energy assets, handling more than half of all cargo in the Port of Gdańsk.
It supplies refineries in the cities of Gdańsk and Płock as well as plants in neighboring countries and has become the main gateway for seaborne oil deliveries.
In 2024, the terminal handled a record 489 tankers and transshipped more than 40 million tons of crude and fuels, nearing its technical limits, according to the Polish energy ministry.
The project will add a sixth loading position, known as Berth "W," the second in Naftoport capable of handling Very Large Crude Carriers over 300 meters long with a draft of up to 15 meters.
Deputy Energy Minister Wojciech Wrochna said the expansion would increase the terminal’s flexibility and capacity, improve the stability of supplies to Polish refineries and reinforce resilience to geopolitical shocks, while supporting NATO and EU goals on critical infrastructure and regional energy independence.
The new berth will raise Naftoport’s annual throughput capability to about 49 million tons, an increase of roughly 9 million tons, and allow the terminal to handle four large tankers at once, shortening loading and unloading cycles.
The project includes a new quay, pipe racks, access roads, a range of infrastructure and environmental protection systems.
The government said it would also support the regional economy by creating jobs and orders for the construction and hydroelectric engineering sectors.
Port of Gdańsk CEO Dorota Pyć said the project would diversify supply routes, enhance Poland’s resistance to geopolitical turbulence and cement the port’s role as an energy hub for the Baltic Sea region.
Deputy Infrastructure Minister Arkadiusz Marchewka said the expansion comes as Poland develops other strategic energy projects in the Gulf of Gdańsk, including a floating LNG terminal, an installation port for offshore wind farms and the country’s first nuclear power plant, whose largest components will arrive by sea via a new one-kilometer pier.
The net cost of the Naftoport project is about PLN 455 million (EUR 108 million), with around PLN 239 million financed by Naftoport and about PLN 216 million by the Port of Gdańsk Authority.
Construction is scheduled to be completed and crude handling to begin in the second half of 2028.
(jh/gs)
Source: PAP