On July 12, 2012, in Warsaw, at the headquarters of the Centre for EU Transport Projects (CUPT), representatives of the Gdynia Maritime Port Authority S.A. signed an agreement with CUPT representatives for the co-financing of a crucial port investment from Cohesion Fund resources.
The agreement for the project titled “Expansion of port infrastructure for Ro-Ro vessel handling with road and rail access at the Port of Gdynia” (under Measure 7.2. Development of Maritime Transport, Priority VII Environment-Friendly Transport, Infrastructure and Environment Operational Programme 2007-2013) was signed by: Paweł Szaciłło, Director of the Centre for EU Transport Projects, and representatives of the Gdynia Maritime Port Authority S.A. (the project beneficiary) – Janusz Jarosiński, President of the Management Board, and Walery Tankiewicz, Vice-President of the Management Board. Thus, the Port of Gdynia has secured further EU funds for its ongoing investment program. The co-financed investment is located in the eastern part of the Port of Gdynia in an area designated for the development of Ro-Ro handling functions.
The total cost of the project, which is being implemented between 2009 and 2013, exceeds 119 million PLN. Of this amount, eligible expenditures total just under 53 million PLN. The co-financing amount granted from the EU, in accordance with the agreement, is almost 45 million PLN. The remaining investment costs will be covered by ZMPG-a S.A. from its own funds. Construction work began in June 2009 and will continue until the end of 2013.
The project “Expansion of port infrastructure for Ro-Ro vessel handling with road and rail access at the Port of Gdynia” involves expanding infrastructure to increase handling capacity in the eastern part of the port, which will allow the Port of Gdynia to maintain its competitive position in the Baltic Sea region. The project plans for more efficient use of existing space at port quays and ensuring more efficient handling of goods transported by sea. This requires, among other things, the reconstruction of road and rail systems located in the eastern area of the port and the demolition of certain facilities. The project includes, among others: the construction of approximately 0.8 km of roads, the reconstruction of 1.2 km of roads, the construction of approximately 0.7 km of railway lines within the port’s transport systems, and the reconstruction of 2 km of railway lines. As part of this project, the reconstruction of the Ro-Ro ramp was also completed, including the construction of an upper ramp and the reconstruction of the lower ramp and mooring equipment.
The port infrastructure created as a result of this project will be made available by ZMPG-a S.A. to port users on an open-access basis. The implementation of the project will contribute to the development of transport in the Baltic Sea as part of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). It also promotes the reduction of the negative impact of transport on the environment by increasing the share of alternative modes of transport, i.e., sea and rail transport, relative to road transport.