Prime Minister at the Maritime Congress about Szczecin and Świnoujście, the container terminal and the Polish flag

Photo: Dariusz Gorajski

Szczecin and Świnoujście are to be one of the key centres of the Polish maritime economy, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Thursday. He added that all investments in the Baltic Sea should benefit from Polish companies and services to the maximum extent.

"We will be very careful to ensure that all those - and I am also talking about the largest State Treasury companies - who will build, for example, large wind farms in the Baltic Sea, benefit to the maximum extent, incomparably greater than before, from Polish companies, from Polish service. It must be so that if we invest in wind farms in the Baltic Sea, Polish companies, Polish entrepreneurs, Polish ports must benefit from it," said the head of government at the 11th International Maritime Congress in Szczecin.

"We are currently working on this with the largest State Treasury companies that are active in this field," the Prime Minister added.

He noted that Szczecin will cease to be a place excluded from communication. "It is hard for it to be otherwise, since Szczecin and Świnoujście are to be one of the key centres of the Polish maritime economy," he pointed out. He recalled that not long ago "it was said that from Szczecin it is far to everywhere", and a train journey took an average of over seven hours. "We have shortened it, and not through large investments, but through rational decisions and a great organisational effort, which is now over four hours, which is almost three hours less," Tusk pointed out.

He added that he welcomed the Czech decision to complete the motorway with satisfaction. "The tender has started and the motorway on the Czech side will be ready and we will be able to talk about a connection that is key for us. All our neighbors are happy about this, but we are happy that Szczecin will be connected with the south," he emphasized.

About transshipment and the container terminal

In 2024, container transshipment in Polish ports amounted to 3.3 million tonnes in TEU standard; by 2030 we will triple these numbers, said Prime Minister Tusk.

"We are a very serious entity in terms of transshipment, I won't say dominant, but it is very close. In 2024, container transshipment in Polish ports amounted to 3.3 million tonnes counted in the TEU standard. I do not hide the fact that we have a plan, a very realistic forecast, and we intend to triple these numbers from today by 2030 - i.e. within 4 years and several months," said Prime Minister Tusk.

TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) is a unit of capacity, equivalent to the volume of a standard container measuring 6.1 by 2.44 by 2.59 metres.

The head of government recalled that last year the profits of Polish ports increased by 26% compared to 2023. He also added that "we are talking about very large amounts of money" and that "customs duties alone in Polish ports in 2024 amounted to PLN 56 billion, one billion zlotys more than a year earlier".

"The container terminal in Świnoujście – regardless of the protests, no one will block this terminal, you can be sure of that," Tusk said.

About the return of the Polish flag

After more than 20 years, the Polish flag will return to Polish ships, said Donald Tusk at the 11th International Maritime Congress.

The Prime Minister pointed out that the last time the Polish flag was lowered was in 2004 on the ship "Ziemia Gnieźnieńska". "We had to wait over 20 years to (...) say that the Polish flag would return to Polish ships," Tusk said. He added that he wanted Polish shipowners, Polish sailors to be able to "work, sail, earn money under the Polish flag".

The Prime Minister then handed over the Polish flag to Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Arkadiusz Marchewka, who is responsible for maritime economy and inland navigation.

On Thursday, the two-day International Maritime Congress began in Szczecin, a meeting of representatives of the international maritime economy. Topics of discussion during this year's edition will include port activity and the shipbuilding industry. The meeting is also accompanied by an informal meeting of European Union ministers for maritime affairs.