On 5 April, the MSC ROSE made its maiden call at Baltic Hub’s newly constructed T3 quay in Gdańsk, marking the start of the Britannia service. The 364-metre-long vessel, with a capacity of 15,486 TEU, arrived from Asia on a route that includes Shanghai, Ningbo, Yantian, Vung Tau, Singapore, Colombo, Felixstowe, Antwerp and Gdańsk.
Although Baltic Hub’s T3 terminal is not yet fully operational, the quay is already being used for test operations. According to the terminal operator, the handling of ultra large container vessels (ULCVs) like the MSC ROSE demonstrates the readiness of the new infrastructure.
“The call of MSC ROSE and its handling as the new Britannia service at the T3 berth confirms the significance of this investment for the future of shipping and logistics in Central and Eastern Europe,” said Jan Van Mossevelde, CEO of Baltic Hub.
Just four days later, on 9 April, the same vessel called at Baltic Container Terminal (BCT) in Gdynia, operated by International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI). There, 8,200 TEU were handled, and the service was formally inaugurated at BCT.
“This strengthens the Port of Gdynia’s role as a deep-water port and highlights our terminal’s modern facilities,” said Wojciech Szymulewicz, CEO of BCT. The arrival of the MSC DARIA on 17 April further underscored the terminal’s ULCV-handling capability. The 366-metre vessel has a capacity of 15,264 TEU.
Meanwhile, a second MSC service has been added at Baltic Hub. On 21 April, the MSC MAURA became the first vessel to call at the port under the Albatros service, another Far East–Europe rotation. The vessel, measuring 366 metres in length and with a capacity of 16,464 TEU, called at Xingang, Dalian, Gwangyang, Ningbo, Shanghai, Yantian, Singapore, Felixstowe, London Gateway, Bremerhaven and Gdańsk.
Baltic Hub is positioning the T3 development as a major expansion, adding 36 hectares of stacking yards and a 717-metre-long quay with a depth of 17.5 metres. When completed by the end of 2025, the facility will feature seven new STS cranes and 20 semi-automated RMG yard cranes, bringing the hub’s total handling capacity to 4.5 million TEU annually.
“The launch of a second MSC ocean service at the T3 berth in Baltic Hub is a clear sign of the trust placed in us by key industry partners,” commented Van Mossevelde.
Once the T3 project is complete, Baltic Hub will offer over 124 hectares of operational space and more than 2.1 kilometres of deepwater quay, making it one of the largest container terminal complexes in Europe.
The addition of two new Asia–Europe services in Poland also comes as MSC pursues one of the largest port acquisition deals in history. Through its port investment arm, Terminal Investment Ltd. (TiL), MSC is the leading bidder in a proposed $19 billion acquisition of 41 container terminals across 23 countries from CK Hutchison Holdings. If finalised, the deal would significantly expand MSC’s global footprint in terminal operations and reinforce its strategy of vertically integrating shipping, logistics, and port assets.
