en.Wedoany.com Reported - Polish energy company Orlen has commissioned a new maritime transshipment terminal at its Gdańsk refinery, enabling direct transfer of petroleum products between the refinery and tankers. The project cost nearly PLN 500 million (approximately $127 million), with Polish contractors playing a leading role in construction.

The terminal quay spans 380 meters in total and features two identical berths, capable of accommodating two vessels simultaneously. Each berth can handle vessels with a maximum deadweight of 10,000 tons, a length of 130 meters, a beam of 17.6 meters, and a draft of 5.8 meters, with each berth equipped with four automated dual-direction marine loading arms.

The facility will be used for exporting base oils, low-sulfur marine gas oil, and xylene, while imports include fatty acid methyl esters (FAME), used cooking oil methyl esters (UCOME), ethanol, methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), and ethyl tert-butyl ether (ETBE).

Orlen stated that the terminal has already received its first vessels, loading marine gas oil for export and delivering FAME for biofuel production. The company expects the terminal to handle approximately 100 vessels and around 500,000 tons of cargo in its first year of operation; annual throughput capacity can ultimately be increased to 1.8–2 million tons.

Ireneusz Fąfara, President of Orlen's Management Board, said the new terminal enhances the safety and efficiency of fuel logistics while increasing the operational flexibility of the Gdańsk refinery. He added that the project shortens supply chains and reduces dependence on road, rail, and external port infrastructure in Gdańsk and Gdynia.