March 24, 2011
 

ADM to construct grain storage facilities in Poland

Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) formally declared on March 21 that the company's partnership with Baltic Grain Terminal (BTZ), Baltic Logistic Holdings, will build a new grain warehouse in the Port of Gdynia, Poland, on the Baltic Coast.

The project comes as a result of close cooperation between BTZ and the Gdynia Port Authority. The new warehouse will substantially raise storage capabilities for soymeal at the port's Indian Quay, while highly developed loading and unloading systems will be beneficial to the port and local region by assisting traffic through the terminal.

"By collaborating with the Gdynia Port Authority on the construction of the new grain warehouse, we hope to not only expand storage capacity for our customers, but also increase import traffic through the terminal by facilitating loading and unloading," said Tido Boehle, ADM general manager, terminals and origination, Europe. "Through efforts to increase the port's import capabilities, ADM will be able to support the supply chain better and serve vital needs in the region and beyond."

The new warehouse will have a stock capability of 30,000 tonnes. The warehouse's surface area of 7,520 square metres will be split into four separate component fields to hold four different products at any time. The construction of the new warehouse is expected to be completed by fall 2012.

The warehouse will access ships at the Indian Quay via an elevator and conveyor system, which will allow soymeal to be transferred easily into the warehouse's storage compartments. To remove the stored meal from the warehouse, trucks will be able to load their containers in three independent loading points. In order to lessen traffic concentration during unloading, each loading point will be equipped with truck scales to speed up the process.

When the new warehouse is completed, the stock capability of the BTZ terminal will rise to about 90,000 tonnes, enabling it to have the largest grain stock capability of any terminal in Poland. The additional storage capacity, as well as the enhanced loading and unloading procedures, will shorten the service time of ships and thus, benefit import across the Indian Quay. Additionally, the warehouse's building and operations will need new employees and the services of domestic companies, which in turn will contribute to the regional economy.

"The new warehouse at the Port of Gdynia underscores our commitment to the region and the local supply chain," said Boehle. "Poland is an important origin for our grain and oilseed business and this new facility will allow us to expand our reach in the country."

The new facility will be the most sophisticated grain warehouse in the Ports of Gdynia, Gdansk or Sopot, ADM said. It will meet all standards of the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), and will adhere to the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards for food chain operations. In addition, the new warehouse will meet standards for the protection of the environment against dust pollution.

Furthermore, ADM's operations in Poland include an oilseeds crushing and refining facility in Szamotuly that refines and bottles retail vegetable oils, and country elevators in Slawa Wielkopolska and Chróscina. The company also has a partnership with Princes to distribute vegetable oils in Poland.