Finnlines – course for ro-ro ships with a long freight line. Port of Gdynia and OT Gdynia ready to handle innovative ships

Photo: Marek Grzybowski

By: Marek Grzybowski

Finnlines in the period January – September 2022 achieved an increase in sales of services by 31%. Revenues amounted to EUR 558.4 million. At that time, the shipowner’s ships carried 572 000 loading units, 99 000 trucks and 514 000 passengers. The operator’s good results are also contributed to by the Poland-Finland connection with ro-ro service six times a week between Gdynia and Hanko.

Finnlines EBITDA 3Q 2022

– As a result of the dynamic growth of revenues, EBITDA increased by 40%, which meant that the operator reached EUR 169.2 million before interest, taxes and amortization. The final result from transport services exceeded by 50%, providing the shipowner with EUR 105.2 million. The result for three quarters of 2022 was the result of a good last quarter, when the shipowner’s revenues increased by 30% to EUR 201.5 million. EBITDA increased by 42% to EUR 71.5 million, and the profit was 49% higher than in the corresponding quarter of 2021 and closed at EUR 48.8 million, said Finnlines CEO Tom Pippingsköld in the introduction to the financial report.

Finneco III in Gdynia

The ship was directed by Finnlines to the Port of Gdynia and moored at the Czeskie Quay at the OT Port Gdynia terminal in mid-October. It was a test visit of this unit.

– We want to check whether the current infrastructure of the Port of Gdynia is able to handle vessels of this size. Our plans for Poland are ambitious. We are planning the development of our connections – said the managing director of Finnlines Polska Rafał Kwapisz in an interview for GospodarkaMorska.pl.

President of the Port of Gdynia Authority S.A. Jacek Sadaj commented on the ship’s test visit as important for the further development of cooperation with the OT Terminal and the NTA company. In October, members of the management board signed a letter of intent in connection with work aimed at optimizing the infrastructure necessary for paper imports.

Two ro-ro ramps in OT Gdynia are planned

– We conduct market research. There is potential for this type of vessel to appear more often – Rafał Kwapisz explained the purpose of the entry of the new Finnlines vessel.

At a recent press conference devoted to the investments of OT Gdynia, President of the Management Board of OT Port, Jerzy Majewski, announced that works on the expansion of the Czech, Romanian and United States quays will soon begin around basin No. V. The deepening of the port and the enlargement of the parking area near the ro-ro ramp will allow for the regular reception of the largest vessels of this type operating in the Baltic Sea.

“Two ramps will be launched at the quay, which will be able to handle two ro-ro vessels at the same time in the near future,” announced Jerzy Majewski.

More: Finnlines GospodarkaMorska.pl