The new Polish container terminal operator DCT Gdansk is seeing a steady rise in throughput, now averaging around 10,000TEU per month, and as it becomes busier, so its workforce is gaining valuable experience. Handling rates are reflecting this with a new record being set recently at the terminal.

The vessel being worked was Containerships’ 907 TEU Aila. Both ship-to-shore (STS) cranes recorded an average net productivity of 40.5 moves per hour and the vessel’s overall productivity was 75 moves per hour. DCT Gdansk’s General Manager, Fred Kamperman, expressed his appreciation to those driving the cranes and working on the quay, saying: “In just 12 months, they have really learned a lot. Aila was not a one-off; we are achieving consistently high productivity levels on both feeder and intra-European shortsea vessels. “In the start-up phase, most of their time was spent training but now that we are busy, they are inevitably much more motivated. As with any skill, the more you use it, the better you become. I can really say now that we have a highly proficient team working at DCT Gdansk.” Containerships moved to DCT Gdansk in February in order to serve growing volumes and secure integrity of schedules which is of utmost importance in intra European routes.

DCT now handles on average three Containerships calls per week linking Poland with the UK/North Continent and several Baltic ports. Aila is providing a weekly link between DCT Gdansk, Södertälje, St Petersburg, Helsinki and Aarhus. DCT’s ambition to one day handle deepsea vessels will be realised soon, says Boris Wenzel, DCT Gdansk’s Chief Executive Officer: “By showing we can work vessels quickly and efficiently, we are sending out a signal that DCT Gdansk is ready for bigger ships. Our terminal is the perfect choice both as a gateway to the expanding Polish market and as a hub for serving the entire Baltic region including Russia.”

Robert Bil, Managing Director of Containerships Poland, complimented DCT Gdansk on its achievement: “Since we transferred to DCT, we have benefited from faster vessel turnrounds, which is of course good news. The terminal is achieving this level of productivity on a regular basis.”