Poland is continuing to invest in its maritime economy. As part of this development, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has announced the implementation of the “Polish Sea” program.
The program includes the construction of new ships, the expansion of port-related infrastructure, the revival of the Polish flag and a tripling of container handling in the Polish ports of Gdańsk, Szczecin and Świnoujście.
According to Prime Minister Tusk, the strengthening of the maritime sector is to take place “in the spirit of repolonization” – a strategy that the government is pursuing in all areas of investment. This means that contracts should be awarded to Polish companies wherever possible. Even if this is sometimes difficult, Polish suppliers and manufacturers are given preference. This also applies to shipbuilding.
Poland builds new ships at Polish shipyards
The first investments in the shipbuilding sector include the construction of a new sail training ship as the successor to the “Dar Młodzieży”, which has been used for scientific and educational purposes for almost 44 years. There are also plans to build a new training and research vessel to replace the “Navigator XXI”, which is owned by the Maritime Technical University in Szczecin. Both ships are to be built at Polish shipyards.
In addition, Polish ships are to be put back into service under the Polish flag. The last time a Polish flag was hoisted on the ship “Ziemia Gnieznieńska” was in 2004. That is now set to change. “The Polish flag will return to Polish ships,” said Tusk. Polish shipowners and Polish sailors should once again be able to “work, sail and earn under the Polish flag”, said the Prime Minister.
New deep-water terminal in planning
Major investments are also planned for the construction of a deep-water container terminal in Świnoujście. Other projects include the modernization of railroad line no. 273, the so-called “Nadodrzanka”, the construction of a western bypass of Szczecin and a road tunnel under the Oder, which should enable better access to the ports of Szczecin.
The “Polish Sea” program also provides for a tripling of container handling in Polish ports by 2030. In 2024, 3.3 million TEU were handled via the Polish quaysides. According to the head of government, the ports’ profits have increased by 26 percent compared to 2023.
In the newly launched program, Szczecin and Świnoujście play a key role in the Polish maritime economy. In order to increase the handling volume in Szczecin, the port’s accessibility has been improved by a new rail link, among other things. In addition, Szczecin is to be better connected to the south of the country – including through a new highway link to the Czech Republic
The program covers current topics in the maritime industry in a broad sense – from the development of infrastructure at seaports (both from the sea and land side) to shipbuilding and the offshore industry to inland waterways as well as road and rail connections, which are an essential part of the European transport corridors.
