Świnoujście ferry terminal infrastructure to be adjusted for intermodal transport
On 23rd June this year, a contract was signed for ‘Developing of a feasibility study and building design’ to support a project of ‘Adjusting the infrastructure of the Ferry Terminal in Świnoujście for handling of intermodal transport’. The event took place in the head office of the Szczecin and Świnoujście Seaports Authority. On behalf of the Seaport Authority the document was signed by Deputy Presidents of Board J. Cichocki and K. Drzazga, whereas the contractor, a consortium of COMPONO Sp. z o.o. (consortium leader) based in Szczecin and TRACTEBEL ENGINEERING SA based in Katowice, was represented by Adam Borowski.
Szczecin and Świnoujście Seaports Authority says the Contractor was selected through an unlimited tender procedure. According to the contract, the consortium has 11 months for developing the feasibility study and building design for the project.
The adjustment of the Świnoujście ferry terminal infrastructure for intermodal transport handling is very important for the Seaports Authority. The project fits very well into the government plans to restore the shipbuilding industry. On the same day (23.06.), a keel laying for a new ferry for the Polish Baltic Shipping was held in the Szczecin Shipyard. It is also a follow up to the Letter of Intent signed on 29th August 2016 in Ystad concerning a tripartite cooperation involving the Szczecin and Świnoujście Ports Authority, Polish Baltic Shipping and the Swedish port.
The investment project will provide port infrastructure for handling large ferries of up to 265 m in length at the ferry terminal in Świnoujście and providing new types of cargo handling services involving the rail transport of about 30 thousand intermodal units in 2020. According to estimates by the Ports Authority, the number of intermodal units handled should triple by 2040.
The project includes connecting and rebuilding of ferry posts no. 5 and 6. This should produce a berthing facility of 293 m in length and 13 m in depth. The investment will create three new car parks connected by an overpass, a second access route to the terminal. The project also includes building of a new track, rebuilding of an existing one, as well as building of a new ramp. Additionally, the passenger gallery will undergo rebuilding and cargo handling equipment purchased, e.g. two reachstackers and four tractors.
Out of the total cargo handling in the Szczecin-Świnoujście Ports Complex, intermodal transport accounts for nearly a half. In the past several years, railway tracks have been rehabilitated in the part of the port administered by the Szczecin and Świnoujście Seaports Authority. Thus, they already meet standards set for the international railway mains. In the upcoming period, the Ports Authority should continue the development of its intermodal capacity. For this purpose, the Ports Authority has been modernizing the ferry terminal in Świnoujście. We focus on railway transport which together with sea and inland waterway transport is the most environmentally friendly mode of transport. This measure is in line with EU priorities, where much emphasis is put on improving environmentally friendly modes within transport corridors. The Ports Authority hopes for an increase in multimodal cargo volumes within the Baltic-Adriatic Corridor passing through the port of Świnoujście. At the moment the growth of cargo handling at the ferry terminal in Świnoujście is about 10% a year. The Świnoujście Ferry Terminal is the leader with 11 ferry departures to Scandinavia every day. For this reason, good transportation links with the hinterland play a key role for further development of the terminal. This includes the completion of the S3 expressway which is used to transport cargo between the south of Europe and Sweden.
The Project of ‘Sustainable sea and land transport links between Poland and Sweden: Świnoujście-Trelleborg Sustainable Motorway of the Sea based on improved infrastructure, development of intermodal transport and integration with hinterland corridors’ is co-funded from the Central Europe Facility. The total value of the project is nearly PLN133 m, whereas the EU provides 75.26%. The project will be implemented in 2017-2019.