ORLEN Opens Transshipment Terminal at Gdansk Refinery

ORLEN SA said Wednesday it has put into service a marine transshipment terminal on the Martwa Wisła River next to its refinery in the Polish city of Gdansk.

The project eliminates the need for intermediate transport for crude feedstock and oil products between tankers and the refinery, the majority state-owned energy company said in a press release.

"Designed to handle more than 1.8 million tonnes of cargo annually, the terminal has already received its first vessels, which loaded marine gas oil from the refinery and delivered FAME for use in biofuel production", ORLEN said.

ORLEN expects the terminal to handle about 100 vessels and about half a million metric tons of products in its first year. "Its ultimate annual throughput capacity could reach approximately 1.8-2 million tons of products", ORLEN said, noting the terminal reduces logistics costs.

"The terminal will handle exports of Group I and Group II base oils, used among other applications in the production of engine and hydraulic oils; low-sulfur marine gas oil, used in vessels’ main engines and auxiliary machinery; and xylene, used as a solvent in the chemical industry", ORLEN said. "It will also handle imports of FAME and UCOME for use in biofuel production; ethanol, an environmentally friendly petrol blending component; and MTBE and ETBE, additives used to increase the octane rating of petrol".

The terminal has a 380-meter (1,246.72 feet) quay with two identical berths and can handle two vessels simultaneously. Each berth can accommodate a ship with a deadweight tonnage of up to 10,000 and a maximum length of 130 meters, a beam of 17.6 meters and a draught of 5.8 meters. Each berth has a transfer capacity of up to 500 cubic meters (17,657.33 cubic feet) per hour, according to ORLEN.

The project cost nearly PLN 500 million ($133.99 million) and largely involved Polish companies, it said.

In other developments ORLEN announced Tuesday it had completed the acquisition of a 216-megawatt (MW) solar plus wind farm project in the municipality of Kazimierz Biskupi.

Construction is scheduled to start in the third quarter and full commercial operation is expected in the second quarter of 2028.

"ORLEN New Power, the Group company responsible for developing and managing onshore renewable energy assets, has acquired two special-purpose vehicles from Polish developers ONDE and Neo Energy Group. The companies hold the rights to build a 180 MW solar PV farm and a 36 MW wind farm. Both partners will remain involved in delivering the project", ORLEN said. "ONDE will act as general contractor, while Neo Energy Group will manage the construction process".

"Kazimierz Biskupi will be another ORLEN Group project based on the hybrid renewables model already proven at the Kleczew Solar and Wind facility in the Greater Poland region", it said. "Located approximately eight kilometers [4.97 miles] apart, the two projects will form one of Poland's largest onshore renewable energy clusters, with a combined capacity of 485 MW. 

"Combining solar and wind farms enables more efficient use of grid connection infrastructure, reduces the impact of weather variability on electricity generation and supports more stable operation of the renewable generation assets".

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