Port of Gdynia Welcomes Its First Ever Nearly-400-Metre Container Ship

On 24 July, the Port of Gdynia received a 399-metre container ship for the first time in its history. MSC Venice is now the largest vessel ever to call at the Polish port — a milestone made possible by years of infrastructure investment that prepared Gdynia to handle Baltmax-class ships, the largest container vessels able to operate on the Baltic Sea.

Bringing a ship of this size safely into port required upgrading the entire route from the port entrance to the berth at the container terminal. In recent years, the inner entrance to the port was widened from 100 to 140 metres, inner waters were dredged to a depth of 15.9 metres, and quays along the Port Canal were rebuilt. Turning basin No. 2 was also enlarged to a diameter of 480 metres, while Helskie Quay was rebuilt to safely accommodate and service the largest container ships operating in the Baltic.

Together, these investments now allow Gdynia to handle vessels up to 400 metres long with draughts of up to 14.5 metres.

Arkadiusz Marchewka, Poland’s Secretary of State at the Ministry of Infrastructure, said the development of Polish ports has a direct bearing on the competitiveness of the economy and the security of supply chains, adding that MSC Venice‘s call shows that investment in port infrastructure is delivering tangible results — stronger, modern ports mean greater opportunities for Polish businesses and a stronger position for Poland in international trade.

Piotr Gorzeński, President of the Management Board of the Port of Gdynia Authority, called the call historic for the port, noting it was the first time Gdynia has handled a container ship of nearly 400 metres. He said the port had spent recent years preparing for this moment through consistent infrastructure modernisation, and that Gdynia can now safely receive the largest container ships operating in the Baltic, offering shipowners and logistics operators a new standard of service while strengthening the port’s position in international supply chains.

Patrick Chan, President of the Management Board of BCT (Baltic Container Terminal), described the call as a breakthrough moment for both BCT and the Port of Gdynia, confirming the value of the major investments made by all parties involved in enabling the handling of this new generation of larger container ships — and reinforcing Gdynia’s position as one of the key deep-water ports supporting the development of the Polish economy.

MSC Venice measures 399 metres in length and 54 metres in width, with a capacity of 18,755 TEU. The vessel berthed at Helskie Quay as part of the BRITANNIA service. It is due to leave Gdynia on 27 July, continuing on to Klaipėda, Le Havre, Antwerp and London, before heading to Asia — calling at Colombo, Port Klang, Singapore, Ningbo, Shanghai, Nansha, Yantian and Vung Tau.

Photos: ZMPG