Both clear weather and clouds are on the horizon in the Baltic Sea region. The Port of Pori in the west coast of Finland is preparing for the future with optimistic expectations. The mining industry is booming in Finland and in Sweden which means increasing bulk and chemical transports at the Baltic Sea area. Russia became a member of the World Trade Organization last August. That is good news for the Finnish logistic business which has expertise on transit traffic. What about the clouds then?
Environmental regulations will be tighter on the Baltic Sea and on the North Sea, but on the other hand the new regulations will force the shipping industry to find new solutions. The Port of Pori has done a lot to improve the environmental standards in port operations and cargo handling and it will remain an active participant in ‘green’ initiatives in the future too. LNG bunkering facilities, smooth hinterland connections, energy- efficient seaborne transports with large vessels and new routes are some key factors which will help operators to meet the new environmental challenges.
The Port of Pori relies on its geographical position. Maybe surprisingly the Port of Pori has the best ice conditions among the Finnish ports. Due to the favourable wind directions, deep waters and the absence of an archipelago, the port is ice-free in normal winters. Because of the good ice conditions, the idea of transporting cargo via the Port of Pori from/to Russia stems from the early days of the railroad. Now the idea of using the benefits of Pori’s logistical location is more real than ever. “The ports north from Pori are covered with ice during the winter time,” notes Jaakko Nirhamo, the Port Director of Pori. The mining industry and other industrial plants could gain savings in terminal costs by using the Port of Pori. “There is no need to store large quantities of raw materials for winter season, if you choose Pori,” summarizes Nirhamo.
The Port of Pori has the deepest fairways in the Gulf of Bothnia area. There is a 15.3m fairway to Tahkoluoto deep harbour. This means that all ships, even Capesize vessels that are able to go through the Danish Straights, can call at the Port of Pori. In Ma¨ntyluoto harbour, there is a new 12m fairway. In Tahkoluoto chemical harbour, there is a 10m fairway which can easily to be dredged to the depth of 12m. Because of the deep fairways and efficient cargo handling facilities, the Port of Pori has the expertise to function as a hub for bulk cargoes.
Hinterland connections are uncongested and the main economical areas of Finland can be reached in four hours. Road and railway connections reach even to the Russian border. Finland has the same gauge as Russia and other CIS countries. In the Port of Pori, the railroad is mainly used in the short- distance transports. There is a scheduled full-train bulk transport system between the Port of Pori and the smelter in Harjavalta Industrial Park. This operates six times a day; every year, almost 1mt (million tonnes) of concentrate is transported from the port to Harjavalta in order to fulfill the raw material needs of the plants of Boliden and Norilsk Nickel situated in the industrial park.
The Port of Pori is constantly developing its connections. It is taking part of a Bothnian Green Logistic Corridor project, which is part-financed by the European Union. The overall objective of this project is to increase the integration between northern Scandinavia and Barents with the industrial chain and end markets in the Baltic Sea Region and central Europe. The Port of Pori is investigating re-opening a Pori–Parkano– Haapama¨ki railroad line. The line would open a new and smooth connection to the mining areas in Eastern Finland and in Lapland as well to the Russian border. In the BGLC project, new connections from the Norwegian Atlantic coast via Sweden and Finland to Russia are also being studied. “In these visions, the Port of Pori could be an important crossing point and a hub,” outlines Nirhamo and looks a map of the Bothian Green Corridor.
The port is situated 25km out of town. In the immediate vicinity of the port, or even in the port area, there are 200 hectares of free land reserved for the use of industry and logistical operations. For example district heating, electricity, sanitation and IT services can be provided at a competitive price. Fresh water is available from the river nearby. City planning guarantees good preconditions for industry and logistical operations. “This is a unique opportunity for industry and logistical companies, which can’t be found nowhere else in Finland,” says Pekka Sundberg, development manager of the Port of Pori. The Port of Pori will launch a campaign this fall to promote the marketing of the sites.
The Satakunta region, where Pori is situated, is the most industrialized area in Finland. It is known for port-related heavy industry and energy clusters. To strengthen these clusters the Port of Pori is taking part in a prefeasibility study in order to evaluate the needs for industrial use of LNG in Satakunta and the other counties nearby. The Port of Pori is planning to be an LNG hub of the Finnish west coast and in the Gulf of Bothian area. This vision requires that the hub could respond to both industrial and shipping-related
demand of LNG. The Port of Pori is a bulk
port but a port must be also a general port to fulfill the needs of modern industrial clusters. The Port of Pori is really a general port, where besides of dry and liquid bulk also containers, project and breakbulk cargoes as well general cargo are handled. The port also has facilities for ro/ro cargo handling. “The Port of Pori is a serving port for all kind of cargoes and all sizes of vessels,” stresses Nirhamo.