KRAKOW, Poland – Deepwater Container Terminal (DCT) Gdansk, maritime ports consultant CH2M and Belgian contractor BESIX celebrated the opening of Terminal 2 (T2), expanding Poland’s sole deep-sea terminal to become the largest container hub in the Baltic Sea.

The new 650-meter-long and 17-meter-deep quay increases DCT’s annual handling capacity to up to 3 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit). Additionally, the new terminal berth can now accommodate ultra-large container vessels of capacity exceeding 18,000 TEU, such as the Maersk Triple E class container ships, which enter the Baltic Sea through the Danish Straits.

“The construction of Terminal 2 is of strategic importance to us, and we decided to entrust the contract engineer’s role to CH2M, thanks to their strong, global experience in maritime ports infrastructure,” said Maciek Kwiatkowski, the CEO of DCT Gdansk. “They provided a great team with both local and international experience who worked closely with the DCT team, providing us with high-quality deliverables, timely communication and expert advice.”

At a height of 82 meters, T2’s new ship-to-shore (STS) container cranes are the largest port equipment in Poland. Terminal operations are supported by an assembly of electrified rubber-tired gantry (eRTG) cranes. A key requirement of the project was to power the STS and eRTG cranes with electricity rather than diesel fuel to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and noise pollution.

Respecting local regulations and procedures, CH2M’s T2 team was comprised of Polish supervision engineers who specialized in hydrotechnical, structural and electrical engineering; highways; and instrumentation and control. They were complemented by a team of CH2M engineers and designers in the UK with broad expertise in designing maritime ports and container terminals.

Delivering this large scale project under a fast-track schedule required careful diligence and collaboration between DCT Gdansk, CH2M and BESIX to ensure the highest safety standards. The team achieved a milestone of 1 million man-hours without a recordable incident.

About CH2M

CH2Mleads the professional services industry delivering sustainable solutions benefiting societal, environmental and economic outcomes with the development of infrastructure and industry. In this way, CH2Mers make a positive difference providing consulting, design, engineering and management services for clients in water; environmentand nuclear; transportation; energyandindustrial markets, from iconic infrastructure to global programmes like the Olympic Games. Ranked among the World’s Most Ethical Companies and top firms in environmental consulting and programme management, CH2M in 2016 became the first professional services firm honoured with the World Environment Center Gold Medal Award for efforts advancing sustainable development. Connect with CH2M at www.ch2m.com; LinkedIn; Twitter; and Facebook.