New approach fairway for the Port of Świnoujście: New prospects for sea transport

Today we have concluded a pre-agreement with the Maritime Office in Szczecin, which will enable the implementation of the project “Performance of works to enable water transport to the Outer Port in Świnoujście”.

The port of Świnoujście, as a key point on the map of sea shipping, plays an important role in the transport of goods and passengers. However, the current approach fairway, known as the Northern route, faces certain limitations – the current approach fairway to Świnoujście, known as the Northern route, is 14.5 m deep.

In response to the growing need for larger ships and safer navigation, it is necessary to dredge the approach fairway to 17 m, which is planned as part of the project. Funds from the European Funds for Infrastructure, Climate and Environment 2021-2027 will help in this project.

Project goals

The implementation of the project of a new approach fairway to the Port of Świnoujście will bring a lot of benefits. Firstly, it will enable safe water transport for a larger number of ships with higher parameters, which will have a positive impact on the development of the port and maritime trade. Secondly, improving the safety of navigation of sea ships on a wider and deeper fairway will contribute to minimizing potential hazards.

Also, increasing the capacity of the access infrastructure to the port of Świnoujście will reduce the likelihood of ship queues on the existing fairway, which will improve the efficiency of the logistics process.

Scope of the project and expected activities

The new approach fairway will be provided on a shipping basin with a depth of 17.0 m and a width of 500 m. The route of the fairway will run on the section leaving the port of Świnoujście, along the existing approach fairway, and downstream the anchorage 1B the fairway will turn north-east. Thanks to a well-planned layout, there will be no need for dredging outside the Polish Maritime Areas (PMA), i.e. bypassing the territorial waters of the neighbouring country, which will greatly facilitate the construction process.

An important aspect of the project is compliance with the law and the natural environment. All administrative, environmental and cross-border procedures will be fully respected, which will allow for the smooth development of the port infrastructure.

Vision of effects

The approach fairway to the Port of Świnoujście planned as part of the project is not only a solution to the problems of the existing infrastructure, but also a vision of expansion and new opportunities. It will allow to attract more ships, and will also enable the handling of vessels with larger parameters, which will have a positive impact on the economic potential of the region.

The project will contribute to the full inclusion of the Port of Świnoujście in the transport chain, as well as the elimination of the so-called bottleneck in sea transport to the port, opening new perspectives for economic and tourist development.

It is expected that the new approach fairway will contribute to strengthening the position of the Port of Świnoujście as a strategic shipping hub and will increase the competitiveness of this region on the map of European maritime transport.

Świnoujście is preparing for new challenges, and the new approach fairway is the key to success.

Project details

Estimated implementation period Q3 2027 – Q1 2029

Estimated total cost in PLN million – PLN 7,331.025

Estimated eligible cost in PLN million – PLN 7,331.025

Estimated amount of EU co-financing in million PLN – 2,805.77