Turning the port of Gdynia into the most important port of the Baltic Sea

Broad scope of works: from capital dredging to installing communication cables

Bringing a port up to date involves several activities. For instance, the port must be deepened from 13.5 metres to 16 metres to remain accessible to the ever larger ships. Reinforcing the bed in certain areas was also on the agenda, as well as installing communication cables some 25 metres under the port. An ambitious project, partly financed with substantial European funds.

Wanted: a particularly diverse fleet

Now, let that be something that Jan De Nul is happy to sign up for. No fewer than five of our vessels were active on this project: a heavy lift vessel, a split hopper barge, a water injection dredger and two trailing suction hopper dredgers. Together, they dredged over 3 million m³ of material. In addition to deploying our own fleet, we coordinated three subcontractors. They dismantled unexploded munition found in the port, carried out bed reinforcement works and installed communication cables.

2. Port traffic should not be disrupted

The port of Gdynia welcomes many ships entering the port around the clock every day. During the works, that busy traffic was not to be hindered. "Keeping port activities undisturbed was one of the main requirements of the contract award", agrees Tomasz Wawrzynski, Project Manager with the Gdynia Port Authority. "Moreover, execution in the different port zones was highly interconnected."

Wanted: a flawless planner and communicator

Jan De Nul's maritime experience proved to be a great asset. Tomasz: "Tight planning, flexibility and, above all, clear communication between all parties were crucial. Although not a requirement, we received a progress report every day. This allowed the port to continue operating flawlessly, despite the major works."

3. Poorly accessible port layout

Dredging in canals and the open sea is usually very straightforward. After all, large dredging vessels can work there without any problems. In ports and rivers, it is a different story. These often have sections that are much more difficult to access. This also applies to the port of Gdynia. 

Wanted: a compact dredger

With the new water injection dredger Cosette, Jan De Nul is able to operate very closely to the quay. On its first project in Gdynia, the Cosette immediately confirmed its added value. The vessel perfectly complemented the work of our larger dredging vessels in Gdynia. 

4. Conflict between Russia and Ukraine escalates

The project was awarded in early 2022. Not much later, war broke out between Russia and Ukraine, causing abruptly skyrocketing commodity prices. This had a major impact on budgeting and project planning. 

Wanted: a flexible partner

"Jan De Nul Group was an understanding partner in this situation and contributed creative solutions", Tomasz explains. "By communicating openly and honestly, we eventually reached an agreement that all parties could support."

Mission accomplished

The fact that Jan De Nul was able to take all hurdles and bring the project to a successful conclusion earned high praise from the client. "We have plans to expand the outer port of Gdynia with a new terminal, quays and breakwaters. We would be delighted to work again with a global player like Jan De Nul Group for this", Tomasz concludes.