The Baltic Hub in Gdańsk, Poland, is growing into a major European node for container traffic. That is well illustrated by the delivery of the final three (out of seven) Ship-To-Shore (STS) cranes to the Baltic Sea’s only deep-water terminal. It has various connections to further European inland destinations, so there is great potential for more containers on rail.
The last three STS cranes, out of a total order of seven cranes, were delivered on 12 March. They are part of the T3 terminal expansion project, which looks to improve Baltic Hub’s ability to handle the world’s largest container ships, the hub says. It has now received all berth equipment that was planned for the terminal expansion.
With the new cranes, Baltic Hub will be able to reach across vessels up to a length of 74 metres, which is 26 containers wide. The cranes can raise containers of 65 tonnes up to a height of 55 metres.
Apart from the STS cranes, Baltic Hub’s T3 terminal will also get 20 remotely operated and automated rail-mounted gantry cranes. They should help optimise container handling and improve operational safety, the hub explains.
TEU capacity getting closer to European top ports
“Together, these new STS cranes and our new semi-automated terminal setup will enable Baltic Hub to significantly enhance operational efficiency, safety and sustainability”, Baltic Hub CEO Jan van Mossevelde commented. “The completion of the T3 terminal will not only support the growing demands of international trade but will also strengthen Poland’s role in the global logistics network.”
When completed, the capacity of Baltic Hub to handle containers will grow to 4,5 million TEU yearly. That is an increase of 1,5 million TEU compared to the pre-expansion capacity. As a result, Baltic Hub is getting closer to major European ports in terms of TEU handling capacity.
Betting on rail
All of that creates possibilities for rail freight. After all, Baltic Hub makes no secret of its ambition to expand rail traffic. “Investment in rail infrastructure is a strategic element in the development of the Baltic Hub”, former CEO Charles Baker said in July 2024.
At the time, the hub launched a rail-mounted gantry crane to boost its rail capacity. “The fourth RMG crane is a response to the growing demand for intermodal transport. We focus on efficient, safe and environmentally-friendly solutions, offering our customers a competitive service. Given the launch of our third terminal [T3] in early 2025 to meet the projected significant increase in rail volumes, we need to be prepared to handle this growth”, Baker said.
The Baltic Hub terminal handled more than 600 trains per month as of July 2024, with trains going to destinations not only in Poland, but also to and from Central and Eastern Europe, through a network of connections between Poland to the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Ukraine. It expects to reach one million TEU on rail by 2027.
Rail Freight Summit 2025
Has this story about the Baltic Hub in Gdańsk made your logistics heart beat faster? Good news! We will be visiting the Baltic Hub as part of the Rail Freight Summit 2025 programme. The event will take place on 8 & 9 April in, you guessed it, Gdańsk. You can still sign up, so head over to our website to find out more.