EMEA News
Poland: Swinoujscie-Szczecin Waterway Upgrade to Boost Regional Trade
A EUR 0.3 billion dredging project to increase the draft on the Swinoujscie and Szczecin shipping canal in northern Poland is due for completion next year. Around 62 kilometres (km) of waterway will be deepened by around 3 metres from 9.15 m to 12.5 m.
Four big dredgers plus a number of auxiliary units are covering the work which is going on in sections. At present, the 41-62 km section of the waterway is being dredged. The project also includes the construction of two artificial islands in the Szczecin Lagoon.
Privately-owned physical bunker supplier and shipping firm Oktan Energy is involved in the project as exclusive physical bunker supplier to the working ships.
The company sells around 13,000 metric tonnes (mt) of marine gasoil per month across Polish ports and is, on average, supplying about 3,000 mt of mgo per month to the dredging fleet, the company said.
Currently, two Dutch-owned dredgers, VOX Amalia and Meuse River, are working on the project.
Once the work of the Swinoujscie-Szczecin waterway is complete, shipping traffic is expected to increase in both size and frequency.
"Deepening and widening the fairway will improve access to the Szczecin seaport and increase the port capacity to handle a growing volume of cargo," Oktan's bunker supplier, Michal Wojtowicz, told Ship & Bunker.
Cargo handling capacity at the port will double on completion.
Oktan Energy is an established player on the Polish shipping and energy scene. The firm has a tank farm at Szczecin and a cross-country fuel distribution network.
Oktan's robust logistics operation and responsive decision-making have been put to the test by some of the obstacles thrown up by the work.
"In addition to dredging, the project has had to deal the removal of live ordnance dating back to World War II," Wojtowicz said.
The Polish Navy helped to neutralise one unexploded bomb which, at over 5,000 kg, was one WW II's largest.
The project is part-funded by the European Commission.
About Julian Macqueen
Julian is Ship & Bunker's Senior Editor and has over 20 years' experience covering the maritime and energy industries. In addition to being the editor of the Oxford-based Bunkernews in the late nineties, his career has included appointments at Lloyd's List, Tradewinds, Bunkerworld, and S&P Global Platts.
Julian is based in London, UK.
About Ship & Bunker
Ship & Bunker is the world's most read publication focused on the marine fuel markets. Completely independent, it is the leading industry authority providing comprehensive daily news, exclusive in-depth features and analysis, along with daily & historical bunker price indications.
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