Last November, shortly before the Polish parliamentary elections, the renovation, expansion, and operation of a new transshipment terminal in the Baltic port of Gdynia were awarded for thirty years to an international consortium. This also included the Szczecin Bulk Terminal (SBT), along with the consulting firms Tapini and Ribera. These two firms are affiliated with Rotterdam-based Viterra.
The latter company ranks among the top ten worldwide in commodity and food trade and operates its own bulk carriers, tankers, ports, transport, and ‘own’ logistics in several dozen countries. This would have placed the grain transshipment in Gdynia largely in the hands of an international group that is also closely involved in Russian grain trade, a major competitor of Ukrainian and European agricultural products.
According to the Polish Viterra management, Polish grain exports already face a significant shortage of transport facilities for domestic Polish grain, partly driven by the demand for transshipment related to Ukrainian grain exports.
However, as early as March this year, voices in the new pro-European Polish government called for termination of the contract. It was pointed out that the national Polish food industry should participate in the tender. It was also argued that transferring control of the strategic port to companies involved in global commodity and grain trade (the Viterra group) does not align with Polish state interests.
The Gdansk port authority announced a tender in January aimed at finding a tenant for an area of almost 24 hectares, most of which would be used for grain transshipment. The tender for the new Europort in Gdansk was announced four times, each time ending with a cancellation without a specific reason being given.
The strategic importance of the container and grain transshipment in Gdynia, just a stone’s throw from crucial NATO military facilities, is also closely monitored in Brussels. The port is also used for the delivery of American and European military transports to the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
Partly due to the Russian westward war, there has been increased attention within NATO and the EU in recent years on strengthening European autonomy in energy and food security, as well as enhancing international standing.