Top award received by DCT Gdansk
During the ninth Gdansk coast business meeting Duck Meeting 2008 ” DCT Gdansk received an KIGM award in recognition of being the biggest and most modern investment in the Polish maritime economy, which became operational in the year of 2007.
The award was handed by Mrs Anna Wypych-Namiotko, Undersecretary of the State in the Ministry of the Infrastructure together with KIGM representatives: Mr Jerzy Uzieblo and Mr Janusz Jarosinski. The award was received on behalf of DCT Gdansk by the President of the Board Mr Colin Chanter and CEO Mr Boris Wenzel.
DCT Gdansk celebrates its first year in business
On 1 October 2008, the Polish deepwater container terminal DCT Gdansk celebrated its first birthday with a large reception party, attended by close to 300 people. Amongst invited guests were to be found representatives of freight forwarders, shipping lines and rail operators working with the terminal, as well as local authorities with the Mayor of Gdansk and the Chairman of the Port of Gdansk Authority. The ambassadors of Australia and Denmark also graced the party with their presence.
These anniversary party celebrations took place on the terminal apron in a transparent marquee, enabling the invited guests to view the terminal in operation while the stage inside had been created using a 45ft open-sided container provided by Containerships, currently the terminal’s largest customer. The marquee was flanked on one side by a wall of containers depicting the principal customers of DCT Gdansk while on the other side, guests had a grandstand view of the 1223 TEU containership Maersk Rome arriving, loading and then sailing before the party ended. In total, 269 containers, equivalent to 528TEU, were handled using three cranes, each averaging 35 container moves per hour.
The nearby wall of containers was much admired. It consisted of containers of Hapag-Lloyd, NYK, CMA CGM, Cosco, ZIM, Safmarine, Hyundai, Hamburg Sud, MOL, China Shipping, Maersk Line and Maruba Shipping – all shipping lines that have confirmed they are open for business with DCT. Maersk Line is the latest customer to be signed up by DCT Gdansk but the arrival of the red-hulled Maersk Rome was a surprise to many. The Danish line’s contract does not take effect until 1 December 2008 when Maersk will switch its Polish operations from Gdynia to DCT Gdansk. Maersk executives simply explained that they had wanted to do something special to celebrate DCT Gdansk’s birthday and only apologised that they had not been able to arrange ‘a blue one’.
