An EU-funded project is increasing the capacity of a 67 km canal that links the port cities of Świnoujście and Szczecin in Poland’s Western Pomerania region. This artificial waterway will become over 2 m deeper to accommodate larger and heavier boats. Related port and signalling infrastructure is being modernised. The upgrade will allow more ships to access ports along the canal, make the waterway safer to navigate and reduce shipping transport costs, with follow-on job and business opportunities and reduced transport-related greenhouse gas emissions regionally.
Increased capacity for the Świnoujście-Szczecin waterway to boost growth in Western Pomerania
- 14 August 2019
Around 62 km of the waterway will be deepened to 12.5 m, from 9.15 m. Engineers will reconstruct and regulate embankments and supporting walls to accommodate this new capacity. Ship-turning areas at three ports along the canal – at Police, in the Orli Isthmus, and in the Grabowski channel – will be made deeper, while the canal’s navigational signalling and traffic control system will be adapted and modernised.
This extensive work is expected to boost the economies of nearby towns, ports and cities, both during the project and afterwards, when it attracts investment to the region.
More efficient shipping
The Świnoujście-Szczecin waterway is an important route for sea freight transport in north-western Poland and beyond. Part of Europe’s TEN-T core transport network, it is an essential link between the Baltic Sea and southern Europe. Within its region, the waterway provides access to many sea and river ports, notably Świnoujście, Szczecin and Police, but also smaller ports in the Baltic Sea.
Ships can currently navigate the waterway in both directions as long as they reach no more than 9.15 m below the water surface, when loaded, and are up to 170 m long. Once there is space for up to 12.5 m of a ship to be underwater, larger vessels will be able to travel along the waterway and ships will be able to carry heavier loads.
With more capacity on the canal for larger, more efficient shipping, the project could reduce greenhouse gas emissions on other transport routes, in both the Baltic Sea area and in Western Pomerania.
Economic boost
The modernisation will not only improve the condition of the canal and nearby navigation bases, it will strengthen the local economy. The need for a Świnoujście-Szczecin waterway was first recognised in the 17th century, when its construction began. But by the late 20th century the canal was in disrepair due to financial and political constraints. Poland funded an initial modernisation in the first years of the 21st century, with more extensive work following, financed by the EU.
This latest upgrade is expected to be an additional boost to the quality of life and economic potential of the region. Some jobs and business opportunities in towns, ports and cities around the waterway will be linked directly to the construction. Other opportunities will appear once the upgrades are operational. In particular, the ability to use bigger ships, especially in the Port of Szczecin, and lower waiting times from other infrastructure improvements will reduce shipping transport costs, allowing port areas to attract new investment and increase business activity.
Tourism and small-scale shipping could also increase. The canal improvements will allow more vessels to access smaller ports on and near the Szczecin Lagoon, which the waterway cuts through. These ports include picturesque Stepnica, Trzebież and Nowe Warpno, which can accommodate boats and ships to a depth of up to 5 m.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Modernisation of waterway Świnoujście-Szczecin to the depth of 12.5 metres is EUR 337 871 444, with the EU’s Cohesion Fund contributing EUR 287 190 727 through the “infrastructure and Environment” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Transport and energy networks”.