POLAND: There have been talks going on between Port of Gdansk and Malta-based Mariner Capital about the privatization of the port’s multipurpose cargo terminals operations.
The terminals comprise eight quays and 220 acres of terminal space along the Dead Vistula River in Gdansk’s inner harbor area. They handle cargoes including containers, vehicles, steel, project cargo, and dry and liquid bulk.
The inner-harbor terminals are overseen by Port of Gdansk Logistics, the port’s terminal operating company.
The port’s main container terminal, in the outer harbor, will continue to be operated separately by DCT Gdansk, which last year announced an expansion to accommodate ships with capacities of up to 18,000 twenty-foot-equivalent units.
Mariner was chosen from among five bidders in a tender process that began last March. The company said it has reached agreement with port unions and plans substantial investment in the terminals that after completion of negotiations with the port board.
Mariner is owned by Marin Hili Holdings. Its chairman and CEO, Marin Hili, oversaw the development of Malta Freeport, which now is a major Mediterranean transshipment hub.
The company holds the operating concession for the Riga Container Terminal in Latvia and is a 50 percent partner with Mediterranean Shipping co. in terminal Intermodal Venezia at Italy’s Port of Venice.
