Port of Gdańsk seeks an investor for the largest operator in the Inner Port
It is definitely a good start to the year for the Port of Gdańsk. First winning a place on the Baltic podium to be in the top three Baltic ports, just behind Russian ports, then 1st place in the container ranking, and now looking for an investor for the largest universal operator in the Inner Port, which is Port Gdański Eksploatacja S.A.
Port of Gdańsk Authority S.A. has decided to sell the full block of shares in its company, Port Gdański Eksploatacja S.A. It is currently one of the largest operator companies, providing professional services in the field of cargo handling and the storage of goods in international trade. It operates in an exceptionally attractive area with significant investment potential.
“We are very well prepared to carry out this process. We put a lot of work into the detailed preparation of the procedure with the aim of finding a future investor. We have the favourable opinion of the Supervisory Board regarding the commencement of this process. We decided to find an investor for this company because, as the Management Board of the Port, we do not want to compete with our customers by having a company providing cargo handling services in our portfolio. We want to our operations to be transparent and be able to consistently implement the objectives adopted in the previous years. Finding an investor for these areas will enable even more dynamic development of the Inner Port, which, despite the pandemic, ended 2020 with an increase of over 15%. We strive to achieve the highest market standards. We want the efficiency of cargo handling per square metre of the Inner Port and areas currently leased to PGE to be as high as possible, and this is what we expect from all our customers. We are able to carry out these processes. As can be seen in our results,” says Łukasz Greinke, President of the Port of Gdańsk.
PGE is the largest universal cargo handling operator, operating out of the quays in the inner part of the Port of Gdańsk, and the fourth largest cargo handling operator in the entire port area. For the benefit of cargo operators, it deals with the provision of maritime cargo handling services and the storage of goods delivered to the port by ships, railways and trucks.
The company operates from an area of over 89 ha. It is an exceptionally attractive area with significant investment potential. As part of a long-term lease agreement and operator contracts with the Port of Gdańsk Authority S.A., it carries out cargo handling on the quays located along both sides of the Martwa Wisła River – Wislane Quay (12.1 ha), Szczecinskie Quay (8.2 ha) and Górniczy Basin quays (68.9 ha). Furthermore, as part of the operator’s activities, the company also operates from WOC I and WOC II Quays (14.2 ha), as well as Oliwskie Quay (5.9 ha). The areas where it operates have been covered by the largest investment program implemented by the Port of Gdańsk Authority SA and co-financed from EU funds. Investments in the Inner Port amount to approximately PLN 572 million, including PLN 439.8 million of investments in PGE’s areas.
“The Inner Port is a very important element of the port business, in which we invest and which we will continue to develop. We are looking for an investor for key assets in the Inner Port, i.e. land leased by Port Gdański Eksploatacja S.A. It is a very important part of the port for us because it still has growth potential. We have been observing significant growth in the Inner Port for several years. The credit for this is also shared by PGE. It is not only a key company in the Inner Port, it is also our 4th largest customer in terms of cargo handling volume in the Inner Port. Finding an investor for these areas will enable even more dynamic development of the Inner Port,” comments Adam Kłos, Commercial Director of the Port of Gdansk.
More detailed information on Port Gdański Eksploatacja S.A. and the invitation to negotiate can be found on the dedicated website: pge.portgdansk.pl.
