Project brief

Gdynia's first caisson moves the Outer Port breakwaters onto the water

Published 20 July 2026 Updated 2 August 2026 Publisher IMWO Section Project brief
Gdynia Outer Port marine plant, floating crane and tug accompanying the first caisson across the harbour

Port Gdynia / D. Adamski

Gdynia's PLN 438.70 million design-build breakwater contract has received its principal construction permit and launched the first of 49 reinforced-concrete caissons. The consortium is public, but the specialist subcontract chain is not.

The construction permit preceded the first waterborne workfront

The Maritime Office in Gdynia reports that the building permit was approved in May 2026 and the first reinforced-concrete caisson was launched and towed toward its placement position in July. The authority describes this as the transition from preparation to principal hydrotechnical construction on the water.

That milestone is narrower than breakwater completion. Foundation preparation, final alignment, placement acceptance, caisson filling, connections, superstructure, wave-dissipation features, navigation lighting and the remaining units still require separate evidence.

Forty-nine caissons form the current structural baseline

The current design uses 49 reinforced-concrete caissons across four independent breakwaters of approximately 250, 800, 850 and 500 metres, together with strengthening of existing structures. Selected caissons will include chambers intended to reduce wave energy.

The first unit was nearly 50 metres long, more than 13 metres wide and about 12 metres high, using 1,465 cubic metres of concrete and 185.8 tonnes of reinforcement. Budimex's 2024 contract release gave a wider design envelope of about 50 by 13.6 metres and 14.5 to 16.5 metres high, so unit-level dimensions should remain tied to their dated source.

Production sits directly on the port water

The caissons are being formed at the Bulgarian and Puck Quays on a floating pontoon. Slip-form construction advances continuously at about 10 to 15 centimetres per hour, with one reported unit requiring roughly seven days of uninterrupted concreting.

Tugs then move the floating structures to prepared seabed. Weather, active port traffic, foundation tolerances, temporary marine plant and continuous concrete supply therefore sit inside the critical path rather than outside it as ordinary logistics.

The consortium is known; subcontractors are not

TED and Budimex identify the signed consortium as Budimex, Roverpol and Rover Maritime. Budimex is leader with a 50% share, and each Rover company holds 25%. These three entities are joint delivery partners, not a published main-contractor and subcontractor chain.

Published project records do not name the detailed designer, hydrographic or geotechnical team, seabed-preparation and dredging contractor, caisson-production subcontractor, towage provider, concrete or reinforcement supplier, backfill and rock provider, navigation-aid specialist or testing organization. Those roles remain unresolved pending an award, attributable supplier reference or project-specific site disclosure.

Accepted placement is the next construction milestone

The first caisson's accepted final position is the next material project record, including foundation preparation, coordinates and survey results. Subsequent records can reconcile production and towage of the remaining 48 units with accepted placements and breakwater-by-breakwater quantities.

The signed programme targets completion in the second quarter of 2028. Progress toward that date depends on accepted caisson placements, reconciled seabed and backfill quantities, operational navigation systems, environmental monitoring, occupancy approval and final-account close-out. Those workfronts remain separate from the future Outer Port terminal package.

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