SSG No 20 - Shipgaz

PorTs & MAriTiMe loGisTiCs
Vuosaari: Efficient
harbour for unitised cargo
The Vuosaari Harbour is to be completed in the end of 2008.
Purpose-built for the handling of
unitised goods such as trailers and
containers, the new Vuosaari harbour
of Helsinki will be fully operational at
the end of 2008.
The Vuosaari project is the largest
investment ever in the port sector
in Finland. Today the cost of
the framework with fairway and
hinterland connections totals
nearly EUR 700 million.
The new harbour is situated east of the
city centre of Helsinki. The construction
of the Vuosaari Harbour is proceeding on
schedule, and the port activities in the
West Harbour and North Harbour will be
moved to Vuosaari at the end of November
2008.
A large part of the harbour business
park will also be completed by the end of
2008. The new road connection from the
harbour to the ring road III was opened
to traffic already on 9 October 2007. Also
the fairway to the port is ready. The railway
connection will be completed in time for
the opening of the harbour.
Three operators
The Vuosaari Harbour is planned and built
to handle unitised cargo, e.g. trailers, trucks
and containers. There will be three port
operators, Finnsteve Oyj, Steveco Oy and
Multi-Link Terminals Oy, all running their
own terminals. They make the investments
in cargo handling equipment, buildings
and systems. All of them are involved in
container traffic and all but Multi-Link Terminals
also in ro-ro traffic.
The port operators make huge investments
in terminal buildings and equipment.
For example Finnsteve, the largest
Vuosaari Harbour
Harbour area: 150 ha
Container quays: 2 x 750 metres
15 ro-ro berths
Total quay length: 3.5 km
operator in the port, invests EUR 100 million.
This includes four new container gantry
cranes and mobile cranes. Multilink Terminals
moves three container cranes from
Western Harbour to Vuosaari. Steveco will
operate one new ship-to-shore gantry crane
and mobile container cranes. All operators
have also made investments in different
kinds of superstructure.
Cargo and information
“The Port of Helsinki provides the basic
infrastructure, including quays, storage areas,
roads, networks and lighting”, explains
managing director Heikki Nissinen of the
Port of Helsinki.
Compared to the present situation
with the cargo handling scattered to two
ports, the Vuosaari harbour will be a great
improvement.
“Everything will be at the one and same
place, which brings numerous advantages.
As there are many different operators in
the port, the internal arrangements are of
26 sCAnDinAViAn sHiPPinG GAZeTTe • oCToBer 26, 2007
PorT of Helsinki