Rymarz Zdort Maruta advises Węglokoks on the acquisition of 80% of the shares in Port Północny in Gdańsk

We are pleased to announce that we advised Węglokoks on the acquisition of 80% of the shares in Przedsiębiorstwo Przeładunkowo-Składowe “Port Północny” from the Belgian group Sea-Invest. However, Węglokoks will not be the sole shareholder in Port Północny, as 20% of the shares therein will continue to be held by ArcelorMittal, the world’s largest steel manufacturer.

PPS Port Północny is the largest and most important bulk port in Poland and a key asset to securing imports of bulk goods into Poland, particularly thermal coal, coking coal, and iron ore.

Węglokoks is a state-owned holding company operating in the mining, metallurgical, energy and logistics sectors, and is one of the largest coal producers and distributors in Poland.

Sea-Invest manages 23 seaports in Europe and Africa. It is one of the largest operators of oil tanks and terminals in global ports, and the largest port transshipment operator for dry bulk goods and fruit in Europe.

This transaction has strengthened the market position of Węglokoks and furthers the company’s plans to operate on foreign markets. Having purchased the shares, Węglokoks will be able to develop its business in the logistics sector and ensure better integration of its services. Furthermore, the return of Port Północny to Polish hands will significantly enhance Poland’s energy security.

The transaction team comprised Paweł Rymarz (managing partner), Jakub Krzemień (partner) and Diana Sofu (senior associate). Competition protection advice was provided by Iwona Her (partner), Irmina Wątły (counsel) and Justyna Niezgoda (associate). Tomasz Bąkowski (senior associate) and Karol Wojtkowski (associate) were in charge of regulatory matters, and Piotr Wawrzeniuk (senior associate) handled the W&I policy issues.