ORLEN Opens Strategic Marine Terminal on the Martwa Wisła River in Gdańsk, Built Largely by Polish Companies

(ORLEN) ORLEN has opened a Marine Transshipment Terminal at its Gdańsk refinery, marking the completion of one of the Group’s key logistics projects. The facility enables refinery products and feedstocks to be transferred directly between the refinery and tankers, eliminating the need for intermediate transport. Designed to handle more than 1.8 million tonnes of cargo annually, the terminal has already received its first vessels, which loaded marine gas oil (MGO) from the refinery and delivered FAME for use in biofuel production. The project also has a strong Polish component, having been delivered largely by domestic companies.

“The ORLEN Marine Transshipment Terminal on the Martwa Wisła River in Gdańsk is a strategically important project that will enhance the security and efficiency of Poland’s fuel logistics. It shortens the supply chain, increases the operational flexibility of the Gdańsk refinery and strengthens our operational independence. We are particularly pleased that Polish companies played a leading role in delivering such an advanced facility. It demonstrates that Polish businesses are capable of delivering strategically important projects to the highest technological and organisational standards,” said Ireneusz Fąfara, President of the ORLEN Management Board.

The new terminal features a 380-metre quay with two identical berths and can handle two vessels at the same time. Each berth can accommodate a vessel of up to 10,000 dwt, with a maximum length of 130 metres, beam of 17.6 metres and draught of 5.8 metres, and is fitted with four automated, bidirectional marine loading arms operating at 10 bar, with a transfer capacity of up to 500 m³ per hour.

The terminal will handle exports of Group I and Group II base oils, used among other applications in the production of engine and hydraulic oils; low-sulphur marine gas oil, used in vessels’ main engines and auxiliary machinery; and xylene, used as a solvent in the chemical industry. It will also handle imports of FAME and UCOME for use in biofuel production; ethanol, an environmentally friendly petrol blending component; and MTBE and ETBE, additives used to increase the octane rating of petrol.

In its first year of operation, the ORLEN Marine Transshipment Terminal on the Martwa Wisła River in Gdańsk is expected to handle around 100 vessels and approximately half a million tonnes of products. The new facility will reduce logistics costs, increase supply flexibility, lessen reliance on road and rail transport and reduce dependence on external port facilities in Gdańsk and Gdynia. Its ultimate annual throughput capacity could reach approximately 1.8–2 million tonnes of products. The project cost nearly PLN 500 million. READ MORE

Excerpt from Digital Refining: ORLEN has secured certification under the Oil and Gas Institute’s KZR INiG sustainability scheme for the co-hydrotreatment of bio-based feedstocks at its Płock refinery. The certification confirms that the renewable feedstocks used by the Company and their processing comply with the European Union’s requirements. This enables ORLEN to expand the production of biofuel components and count them towards the EU’s renewable energy targets for transport. The Company currently has the capacity to process approximately 100,000 tonnes of bio-based feedstocks annually, with planned upgrades set to increase this to around 150,000 tonnes.

‘The KZR INiG certification confirms ORLEN’s readiness to further expand the production of biofuel components from renewable feedstocks. By using our existing refinery units, we can increase the share of renewable components in fuels while preparing to meet the requirements of the RED III Directive. This is an important part of the energy transition and of developing a domestic feedstock base for the biofuels sector,’ said Grzegorz Jóźwiak, Executive Director for Biofuels and Hydrogen at ORLEN.

KZR INiG is a certification scheme recognised by the European Commission. It verifies the origin of renewable feedstocks and confirms that the production process meets the applicable EU requirements. The certification allows ORLEN to further develop co-hydrotreatment, whereby bio-based feedstocks are processed alongside conventional fossil streams within existing refinery units. As a result, the renewable content of fuels can be increased without the need to build new production units.

ORLEN can currently operate the process with bio-based materials accounting for up to 3.5% of the feed, equivalent to approximately 100,000 tonnes of renewable feedstocks per year. These may include vegetable oils, such as rapeseed oil, as well as used cooking oil (UCO). The Company also plans to extend the certification to cover additional oilseed crops, including camelina and mustard.

In July 2026, ORLEN conducted tests at the Płock refinery aiming to increase the share of vegetable oil in the process from 3.5% to 5%. The results confirmed the potential to scale up the technology. Following the necessary upgrades, the refinery’s capacity to process renewable feedstocks is expected to rise to approximately 150,000 tonnes per year. READ MORE