Orlen has opened a marine transshipment terminal at its Gdańsk refinery, enabling refinery products and feedstocks to be transferred directly between the refinery and tankers, removing the need for intermediate transport.

The terminal, situated on the Martwa Wisła, features a 380-metre quay with two identical berths capable of handling two vessels simultaneously. Each berth can accommodate vessels of up to 10,000 DWT, with a maximum length of 130 metres, a beam of 17.6 metres and a draught of 5.8 metres. Each is fitted with four automated, bidirectional marine loading arms operating at 10 bar, with a transfer capacity of up to 500 cbm per hour.

According to Orlen, the facility is designed to handle more than 1.8 million tonnes of cargo annually, with throughput capacity expected to reach approximately 1.8–2 million tonnes. In its first year of operation, the terminal is expected to handle around 100 vessels and approximately half a million tonnes of products. The project cost nearly PLN 500 million.

The terminal's first vessels have already called at the facility, loading marine gas oil (MGO) from the refinery and delivering fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) for use in biofuel production.

On the export side, the terminal will handle Group I and Group II base oils, used in the production of engine and hydraulic oils; low-sulphur MGO, used in vessels' main engines and auxiliary machinery; and xylene, used as a solvent in the chemical industry. Import cargoes will include FAME and used cooking oil methyl ester (UCOME) for biofuel production; ethanol as a petrol blending component; and MTBE and ETBE, additives used to increase the octane rating of petrol.

Orlen says the new facility will reduce logistics costs, increase supply flexibility, lessen reliance on road and rail transport, and reduce dependence on external port facilities in Gdańsk and Gdynia.

Ireneusz Fąfara, President of the Orlen Management Board, stated: "The Orlen Marine Transshipment Terminal on the Martwa Wisła in Gdańsk is a strategically important project that will enhance the security and efficiency of Poland's fuel logistics. It shortens the supply chain, increases the operational flexibility of the Gdańsk refinery and strengthens our operational independence. We are particularly pleased that Polish companies played a leading role in delivering such an advanced facility. It demonstrates that Polish businesses are capable of delivering strategically important projects to the highest technological and organisational standards."