SEA-invest at the Port of Gdańsk

04.08.2010

Polish ports, especially the Port of Gdańsk, are developing dynamically thanks to the common effort of the Polish government and investors. It is a big chance for Poland, something to be proud of and a reason of hope for a better future - said Anna Wypych-Namiotko, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Infrastructure a press conference devoted to the investment of SEA-invest at the Port of Gdańsk. The conference was held at the PAIiIZ Information Centre on July 29th, 2010.

By the end of May 2010, the value of Foreign Direct Investment in Poland had increased to EUR 1.3 billion. 29 investment projects, estimated to create over 6,000 job positions had been successfully ended, including the outstanding investment of the Belgian group SEA-invest which is going to invest EUR 40 million in a new stevedoring port in Gdańsk.

After summarizing the first half of the year, it is evident that the investment of the SEA-invest Group takes a very important place in this year’s investment portfolio. It integrates with the development of Polish sea transport - said Sławomir Majman, President of PAIiIZ.

From the left: Ludo De Nijs, Senior Consultant, the Sea-Invest Group; Wojciech Chmielewski, Ministry of Tresury; Ryszard Strzyżewicz President of the Port of Gdansk Authority; Anna Wypych - Namiotko, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Infrastructure; Jacek Klimczak , President of the Port Północny and Sławomir Majman , Presidnet of PAIiIZ.

The Cargo Handling and Storage Enterprise Port Północny Sp. z o. o. employs about 200 people. It runs a bulk cargo stevedoring terminal for exporting steam and coking coal. It provides also qualified crew to operate the Liquid Fuel Base (for crude oil and derived products) stevedoring fuel for import and export under an agreement with Naftoport Ltd. The present coal exporting terminal of Port Północny Sp. z o. o. is comprised of an extended railway siding, two rail-car tippers and a rail-car defrosting station (ensuring the year-round operation of the base), storage yards with a capacity of approx. 600,000 tons of coal, a system of conveyor belts, an automatic sampler, and a pier with a loading berth capable of accommodating vessels of up to 280 metres in length and with up to 15 metres permissible draught. Having its own rail engines and highly-skilled personnel Port Północny Sp. z o. o. can provide rail services to other existing and future terminals operating in the area of the Northern Port. In 2007, Port Północny Sp. z o. o. started an RFT procedure to gain a strategic investor. Eventually, the Belgian group SEA-invest was selected and currently it holds the majority stake in the company. This fact has become a basic reason for the turnaround in the scale of planned bulk cargo stevedoring in this part of the port of Gdańsk.

From the left: Ludo De Nijs, Senior Consultant, the Sea-Invest Group; Wojciech Chmielewski, Ministry of Tresury; Ryszard Strzyżewicz President of the Port of Gdansk Authority; Anna Wypych - Namiotko, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Infrastructure; Jacek Klimczak , President of the Port Północny and Sławomir Majman , Presidnet of PAIiIZ.

Bulk cargo from China has been coming to Gdańsk instead of Hamburg since January. This increases the exposition of the port to the neighbouring countries, making it possible to take full advantage of its throughput capacity. President Jacek Klimczak thanked PAIiIZ and the Ministry of Treasury for the three year-ling fruitful co-operation in carrying out this project.

The SEA-invest Group has its headquarters in the Belgian city of Ghent. It specialises in operating port terminals. The group is a leader among stevedoring companies in both Western Europe and Africa. Currently, it operates in 25 ports worldwide, in countries such as: Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Russia, Morocco, Burkina Faso, the Ivory Coast, South Africa and in the region of French West Indies. 

The SEA-invest’s terminals of over 800 ha in total area handle about 120 million tonnes of cargo per year. The Group employs 5,000 people. SEA-invest’s scope of activities also includes logistic services, storage of goods and maritime transport of petroleum and chemicals.