If we look at the expansion of the Baltic Hub terminal today, i.e. the silting of the basin for the T3 quay, we can only imagine the scale of the construction of the Northern Port, a flagship project of the People’s Republic of Poland. Exactly 50 years ago, some 70 hectares of new land were snatched from the sea to create coal export and oil handling bases. While the circumstances at the time were completely different, the scope of the project appears impressive even now.

As the most important and largest part of the Port of Gdańsk, situated on the Bay of Gdańsk, the Northern Port forms a key element of Poland’s maritime economy and in recent decades has become a strategic centre of trade in the Baltic Sea region. Were it not for its extensive infrastructure and modern terminals capable of handling huge ships, the Polish economy would not be able now to stay competitive on international markets. It is the Northern Port that has enabled Poland to emerge as an important player in the global maritime trade, reinforcing its economic position and paving the way for the further development of the maritime industry.

To mark the 50th anniversary of the Northern Port, an anniversary gala was held at the Shakespeare Theatre on 12 November. The guests included Arkadiusz Marchewka – Deputy Minister for Infrastructure, Mieczysław Struk – Marshal of the Pomeranian Voivodeship; local authorities, MPs, business representatives and former and present port workers.

‘Since 1974, the port has evolved. I have been following developments here over the last 50 years with much admiration. Starting from a coal depot, through the handling of liquid fuels and an LPG handling terminal, and ending with what is so important for today’s maritime economy – a great, large container terminal’, said Deputy Minister Arkadiusz Marchewka during the anniversary gala. ‘There are a number of equally important investments to come, such as the construction of an installation terminal for offshore wind farms, the construction of a new oil handling terminal, an FRSU regasification terminal. These are no longer mere plans or announcements, but specific actions that have already begun’.

The construction of the port, situated to the north of Gdańsk’s main port complex, involved huge financial investments and the work of thousands of engineers, builders and experts, as well as advanced technical solutions, including the construction of piers and deep-water quays to accommodate the largest ocean-going vessels. The construction and hydraulic engineering works completed at the time were really challenging.

‘The decision to build the Northern Port was made in the late 1960s as part of plans for the development of the post-war economy. It was designed to improve the economic efficiency of maritime transport in the carriage and handling of bulk cargo involving large vessels and to enable the supply of fuel to Poland by sea. The Northern Port was a state investment, implemented by state institutions and enterprises, using Polish technical thought. Infrastructure was developed to handle the largest ships passing through the Danish Straits into the Baltic Sea. Naftoport and a modern deep-water container terminal were constructed. It is the Northern Port that the world’s largest container ships call at today, and the Port of Gdańsk has become part of the bloodstream of the global economy, actively participating in international maritime trade’, said Dorota Pyć, CEO of the Port of Gdańsk.

Ever since its construction was completed, the Northern Port has steadily expanded its infrastructure and handling capacity to become a major logistics and transport centre not only in Poland, but also in the entire Baltic Sea region. The operation of the two main bases, i.e. coal export and liquid fuel handling, has enabled the volume of goods handled in the entire port of Gdansk to increase significantly (in 1978, the handling volume exceeded a record 28 million tonnes). The late 1990s saw the launch of Gaspol, a liquefied petroleum gas terminal; in 2007, the DCT Gdańsk container terminal (now the Baltic Hub) was completed.

With its strategic location and investments of millions of dollars, the Northern Port can now support both bulk raw material cargoes and advanced container handling operations. Its development has also helped the local economy to thrive, with thousands of jobs created and investors attracted by the availability of modern infrastructure and direct access to international markets.

It would be difficult now to imagine the Port of Gdańsk without the Northern Port, which is an important part of it. It has undergone major technological changes over the years. Automated port operations, investments in modern container terminals and digitalised logistics processes have turned it into one of the region’s most innovative and competitive ports.

‘Being an economic organism with exceptional development potential, the Port of Gdańsk has made the most of its time thanks to the vision and determination of people with a passion for the sea, those involved in the maritime industry and port workers. It is now a strategic partner in the network of European socio-economic links. We are in the process of drafting our development vision, driven by a concern for safety and for well-established values and principles. Our goal is to become a sustainable port in the blue and green economy. We need energy to make this vision a reality. The following decades when an energy hub will be steadily constructed at the Port of Gdańsk will surely show that energy is life and life is energy’, stated Dorota Pyć, CEO of the Port of Gdańsk.