Port Gdynia has completed the modernization of the Hel Coast

Gdynia Port completed one of the key infrastructure investments of recent years. Modernized on Tuesday Quay Helsinki – a strategic facility for container handling and competitive port position in the Baltic Sea region.

Board of Maritime Port Gdynia reported that the rebuilt quay is nearly 800 metres long and has been deepened to -15,5 m. This means the possibility of receiving container ships up to 400 metres long and submerged up to 14.5 metres, the largest vessels currently operating in the Baltic.

Greater individuals, greater independence

The new technical parameters are not just a matter of prestige. The capacity to operate the largest container ships in the region translates into the possibility of increasing the number of direct ocean wrappeds. In practice, this means reducing dependency on intermediate ports and strengthening Gdynia’s position in supply chains.

The investment amounted to approximately PLN 300 million net. The project was implemented with the support of EU funds, which – as emphasised by the port – was crucial for maintaining the timetable and scope of work. Modernisation is part of a broader programme to adapt port technical parameters to the requirements of modern container shipping.

Operation in motion – without stopping operations

The robots started in September 2023 and were carried out in stages, while maintaining the continuity of transhipment operations. In addition to the construction of the waterfront itself, the foundations were strengthened, an additional lift rail was built to enable larger cranes to work and technical and road infrastructure was rebuilt.

The scale of the project was significant. Nearly 7.5 thousand tons of steel were sunk during the implementation, about 80 thousand m3 of land was extracted, 2 thousand tons of steel were built in, and nearly 20 thousand m3 of concrete. Hundreds of foundation piles and kilometers of micropals were made to strengthen the structure.

A particular design challenge was to push the structure towards the water only about 1.2 meters. This solution retained the full functionality of existing container cranes. With a standard approach, the device would not reach the last rows of containers on the largest units. Finally, it was possible to deepen the waters at the same time and maintain the operational efficiency of the terminal.

Record year and strategic context

The Helski wharf is commissioned after a record year in port history. In 2025 Port of Gdynia for the first time it exceeded the level of 1 million TEU, with an increase of 5.27% year-on-year.

From a strategic perspective, the modernisation of the wharf is part of building the resilience of national supply chains in an unstable international environment. In situations where logistics increasingly becomes a tool of political and economic pressure, the technical parameters of the port cease to be purely a business issue.