Contract for the construction of protective breakwaters in the Port of Gdynia signed!

The construction of protective breakwaters in the Port of Gdynia will begin soon. The investment will create a body of water sheltered from waves, which will allow the construction and subsequent operation of the Outer Port. This will mean significantly greater opportunities for development and strengthening the position of the Port of Gdynia among Baltic ports, as well as greater economic and military security for the entire country. Today, a contract for this task was signed with a consortium led by Budimex.

The contract for the ‘Construction of protective breakwaters, constituting the water access infrastructure to the Outer Port in the Port of Gdynia, in the design and build formula’ was concluded between the Maritime Office in Gdynia and the Port of Gdynia Authority, and the general contractor, i.e. the consortium consisting of Budimex S.A (leader), Roverpol Sp. z o.o. (partner), Rover Maritime S.L. (partner). The task includes the construction of the first phase of the breakwaters of the Outer Port. Ultimately, almost 2.5 kilometres of them will be built.

“The construction of the breakwaters marks the opening of a completely new chapter in the history of the Port of Gdynia. For decades, the port has developed within its existing boundaries. Since it is surrounded by the city, there are no more development opportunities in this area, so today we are going out to sea. This is the only direction that ensures the expansion of the possibilities of the Port of Gdynia in the long term,” emphasises Piotr Gorzeński, President of the Port of Gdynia Authority.

Baltimax ships will be served

The realisation of this task will ultimately enable the construction and operation of the Outer Port, which will be adapted to serve the largest vessels that can enter the Baltic Sea with Baltimax parameters. Thanks to the investment, a basin sheltered from the impact of waves will be created, which will enable maneuvering at the terminal in the Outer Port, together with safe unloading at its quays.

The new infrastructure will also shield existing facilities from wave action. Construction will also improve navigational conditions on the approach to the Inner Port.

In addition, the project will bring a number of benefits from the point of view of the state’s economic security – as the development of the Port of Gdynia will allow the diversification of foreign trade directions and the relocation of transport corridors closer to the target customers in Poland and the region of Central and Eastern Europe. In addition, when the investment is completed, higher customs and tax revenues to the state budget can be counted on. Recall that Polish seaports in 2023 had the largest share in the generated tax revenues from the main border cargo handling terminals in Poland. Customs and tax revenues at the Port of Gdynia last year amounted to PLN 7 billion.

Importantly, military security will also increase, as the Port of Gdynia is a so-called dual-purpose port and the largest NATO base in the region.

Over PLN 539 million

The project will be built under the ‘design and build’ formula. Its gross value is over PLN 539 million. The work is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2028.

“The construction of the breakwaters is crucial to the creation of the Outer Port in Gdynia. It is a real beginning of a historic expansion of the infrastructure, ensuring much greater capacity, number of ships to be handled and safety of navigation and port operations. I would like to thank the employees of our Office and the Port of Gdynia Authority for their involvement and professionalism in the implementation of this large project so far,” says Anna Stelmaszyk-Świerczyńska, Director of the Maritime Office in Gdynia.

In the first stage, the consortium consisting of Budimex S.A., Roverpol Sp. z o.o. and Rover Maritime S.L. will proceed with design work and obtaining a building permit. Construction works will then commence. These will be carried out on the water, outside the port protection breakwaters.

Works only on the water

“Certainly, logistics will be a challenge during the implementation of this important investment. On the one hand, all materials, equipment and workers will be transported to the site by water. On the other hand, logistics will certainly be heavily influenced by weather conditions. Then there is the need to take into account the large number of vessels using the harbour. This will require us to coordinate perfectly, but we are fully prepared for it. We have already confirmed more than once that the experience we have gained over the years in various areas of construction allows us to carry out even the most complicated and ambitious tasks,” says Jakub Długoszek, Director of Infrastructural Construction at Budimex S.A, the consortium leader.

The structure of the breakwaters will be realised in the form of sunken reinforced concrete boxes with a length of about 50 m, a width of 13.6 m and a height of 14.5 to 16.5 m. The boxes will be constructed on a special floating dock using the continuous concrete method. The boxes will then be launched and concreting will take place on the water.

The project will be carried out considering the provisions of the environmental decision, including in particular the protection of birds, fish and marine mammals.

The consortium has extensive experience in the implementation of hydrotechnical investments. Budimex, the consortium leader, is currently working on a polder in Kutřin in the Czech Republic, and its portfolio also includes the construction of a waterway connecting the Vistula Lagoon with Elbląg and the third deepwater container terminal T3 Baltic Hub. The company is also responsible for the construction of the largest hydrotechnical investment in Poland – the flood control reservoir in Raciborz Dolny.