Following a successful trial transport, inland shipping is returning to the Gliwice port for good. The Oder Waterway, which connects Upper Silesia with the seaports of Szczecin and Świnoujście and is linked to the Western European canal network, begins in Gliwice. The contract currently under negotiation assumes the delivery of approximately 20,000 tons of coal per month from Gliwice to the Combined Heat and Power Plant in Wrocław.
The launch of coal transport from Upper Silesia to Opole and Wrocław was announced during a recent visit to the Gliwice port by the Minister of Maritime Economy and Inland Navigation, Marek Gróbarczyk. The meeting was also attended by the Secretary of State at the Ministry of Energy, Grzegorz Tobiszewski, the Silesian Voivode, Jarosław Wieczorek, the Mayor of Gliwice, Zygmunt Frankiewicz, and members of parliament. The topic of the visit was to emphasize the rank and importance of inland shipping for the Polish economy and the determination of the Polish government to implement plans for the revitalization and expansion of inland waterways. The reopening of the waterway would not have been possible without the experienced captains sailing the pushers TUR No. 78 and 55, as well as the ŚCL specialists carrying out port operations.
The manager of the Gliwice port, Śląskie Centrum Logistyki S.A., is located in a unique place on the logistics map of Poland. By having modern and universal infrastructure, it enables the implementation of intermodal projects, creating a competitive advantage for potential clients in the market. The current transshipment potential of the Gliwice port is approximately 1.5 million tons per year, with a target of 3 million tons. ŚCL S.A. expects that transshipment volumes will soon allow for the full utilization of its existing potential.