A new joint venture, PolSca Baltic Ferries, has been launched by three major Polish shipping companies - Polska Zegluga Morska (Polish Steamship Company), Polska Zegluga Baltycka (Polferries), and Euroafrica Shipping Lines - to consolidate and manage ferry operations in the Baltic Sea region. The announcement was made during the 11th International Maritime Congress held in Szczecin.

PolSca Baltic Ferries will serve as a central operator managing 10 ferries currently running under the Unity Line and Polferries brands. The new company aims to enhance operational efficiency, expand the network of ferry routes between Poland and Scandinavia, and bolster Poland’s presence in the Baltic ferry market.

The joint venture marks the most significant consolidation in the Polish maritime transport sector in recent decades. Unity Line, formed in 1994 as a partnership between the state-owned Polska Zegluga Morska and privately held Euroafrica Shipping Lines, currently operates six ferries on the Swinoujscie-Ystad and Swinoujscie-Trelleborg routes. Polferries, founded in 1976 and based in Kolobrzeg, runs four Baltic ferries (plus one under charter in the Mediterranean) on the Swinoujscie-Ystad and Gdansk-Nynäshamn routes.

The new company will operate from Swinoujscie and retain the Polferries and Unity Line brand identities for the time being. All vessels will remain under the ownership of the original operators. Centralised ticket sales and logistics services for both passengers and freight carriers will be introduced.

The launch of PolSca Baltic Ferries coincides with a wider national maritime strategy unveiled by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on 15 May.

© Shippax