Port of Pori a mining port

The Port of Pori’s vision is to become a mining port of Finland. Deep fairways, the best ice conditions in Finland and on the Gulf of Bothnia area, and great expertise in bulk handling give the Port of Pori a competitive edge. The Port of Pori is also a general port which can serve the needs of the whole mining cluster. The Port of Pori can handle not only ore, minerals and concentrates, but also mining machinery and equipment as well as chemicals.
The mining industry is booming in Finland. New mines have been opened and existing mines have increased production. Many mining projects are in progress and prospecting is continuing. It is estimated that the total volume of metallic ore production will increase substantially by the end of the decade. According to international evaluations, Finland is one of the best countries for mining operations. The country provides a good operating environment for mining activities, and it has well- developed infrastructure and a stable operating environment.

Mining activities are strongly focused on the eastern and northern parts of the country. “There are four options to transport the ore from Lapland to the global and European markets”,calculates JaakkoNirhamo,CEOandportdirectorof the Port of Pori. Ore and minerals can be transported from the northern ports of Finland and Sweden direct to the markets. These harbours have shallow fairways. The Lulea°–Narvik railway line with branches is another option, but the capacity of the railway is needed for use by Swedish mining company LKAB. International mining companies have not shown an interest in the alternative of using Russian Arctic Sea ports. There have also been discussions about providing a railway line from the Finnish Lapland to Kirkenes on the Artic Sea coast of Norway, but that would represent a huge investment and profitability is not guaranteed.

“Actually there is also the fifth option,” Nirhamo says. “It is the Port of Pori.” The Pori region is one of the most industrialized areas in Finland. For example, a large copper smelter belonging to the New Boliden company is situated about 50km from Pori. Copper concentrate is imported from abroad to Finland via the Port of Pori. In August 2012, the coaster Chopin, carrying Finnish copper concentrate, called at the Port of Pori for the first time. Prior to that, vessels had been loaded in the Port of Oulu in northern Finland, and the copper concentrate originated from the newly opened Kevitsa mine in Lapland.

Nirhamo has a vision that this type of operation could become more common. Ores and concentrates could be transported to the Port of Pori by using coasters. Then directly, or after refining the ore, the cargo could be re-loaded to Panamax or even Capesize vessels. The Port of Pori is very familiar with the hub and spoke operation model. Coal and coke arrive at the Port of Pori in Capesize vessels. Some of the cargo is re-loaded to pusher barges and transshipped to a smelter, which is situated about 400km north of Pori.
Ore and concentrates from eastern and northern parts of Finland could also be transported to the Port of Pori by train. There is now one railway line coming to Pori. The Port of Pori is part of a Bothnian Green Logistic Corridor project. The aim of this EU project is to increase integration between northern Scandinavia and Barents regions with the industrial chain and end markets in the Baltic Sea Region and central Europe. The Port of Pori is conducting a feasibility study into the re-opening of a Pori–Parkano–Haapamaki railway line. The line would open a new route to the Finnish mining industry and would also provide a new connection from Pori to Imatrankoski at the Russian border.
Another interesting project, which the Port of Pori is taking part in, is called Gas to Satakunta-county. In that project a pre- study will be made in order to find out the use of gas and future needs of LNG in industry and in shipping. LNG as a source of energy opens also possibilities to develop the metal industry, which is very dependent on inexpensive energy. In the immediate vicinity of the port there are 200 hectares of available land reserved for the use of industry and logistical companies. The port is situated 25km out of town, which is also a plus from the viewpoint of industry.
The Port of Pori fulfills the logistical needs of the whole mining cluster. Dry bulk, oil, chemicals, project cargo and containerized cargo are handled in the port. The Port of Pori is known for excellent lifting capacities. It has the strongest harbour crane in Finland (200 tonnes). Crane capacity has also been increased. The newest investment is a Liebherr LHM550 mobile crane with a handling capacity of 140 tonnes. The crane is used both in bulk and project cargo handling. Both sea-side and inland connections are excellent.
The Port of Pori also has a firm grip on environmental issues, which is very important for sustainable mining. The Port of Pori is an excellent choice for the mining cluster as it is a first-class choice for many other industries, too.
The geographical location of the Port of Pori offers many advantages. The main economical areas of Finland can be reached in three hours by road. Also, Russian markets are easily accessible due to excellent road and railway connections across Finland. Ice conditions of deep and short fairways (15.3m and 12m) are the best in Finland. The fact that there is no archipelago makes fairways easy to navigate. All ships — even Capesize vessels — sailing through the Denmark Strait can call at the Port of Pori.
The Port of Pori has three harbours: Ma¨ntyluoto harbour and a dry bulk as well as a chemical harbour in Tahkoluoto. Containerized cargo, project cargo, sawn timber and all kinds of breakbulk are handled in Ma¨ntyluoto, where Panamax vessels can also call thanks to large investments in fairway and berths. “The Port of Pori is a port for all sizes of vessel,” stresses Nirhamo.