Deepened fairway increasing the efficiency of ship traffic
Completed in November, the deepening of the Vuosaari fairway makes it possible for cargo vessels visiting Helsinki to increase their load capacity and improves Vuosaari Harbour’s competitiveness.
The majority of Finland’s consumer goods and certain raw materials and supplies for industrial purposes are transported through the ports of Helsinki. In exceptional times, the functioning of society relies on effective shipping.
Fairway deepening project completed
The project to deepen the Vuosaari fairway and port basin by the Port of Helsinki and the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency was completed on schedule and under budget in November. The project, which started in spring 2020, cost 26.5 million euros. The original budget estimate was over 10 million euros more. The project has also been awarded a 20% EU CEF grant to improve transport efficiency and reduce environmental hazards.
The deepened fairway and a section of the port basin now have a draught of 13 metres, which facilitates visits by larger vessels than before. The increase in the cargo capacity of cargo vessels will bring significant savings in transport costs, reduce the environmental impact of shipping and increase the Port of Helsinki’s competitiveness.
- The work was carried out safely until the end of the project. The deepening was carried out on a busy water area and required significant efforts to coordinate the vessel traffic, recreational boating and work machinery.
Read more about the fairway deepening project
More functional and sustainable port operations
- In March, the Finnish Food Authority transferred its border control post from Hakuninmaa to Vuosaari Harbour. The post operating in the gate area will speed up the border control of many port customers.
Read more about the border control post - Over the course of spring 2021, the check-in area for the Vuosaari–Muuga connection received inspection facilities for Muuga traffic as required by the Customs Act.
- Construction work was started in spring 2021 on a dual ramp in Vuosaari Harbour for the RoPax ship traffic to Muuga, Tallinn. Using two vehicle ramps in the harbour at the same time will speed up the vehicle loading process and shorten ship turnaround times. To be completed in summer 2022, the new ramp will facilitate up to three RoPax ship calls a day.
Read more about the dual ramp - The Port is preparing for the arrival of larger vessels by means such as widening four stern ramp berths used for RoRo ship traffic. The final stern ramp berth widening project is expected to be completed in early 2022. In addition to this, one pier will be extended by roughly 50 metres.
- As more powerful LEDs have been developed, Vuosaari Harbour will gradually start using LED lighting exclusively. The energy efficiency will reduce the Harbour’s carbon footprint, and the LEDs will also improve lighting adjustment opportunities. Furthermore, LED lights have good directivity, as well as vision-friendly and good colour reproduction ability, which significantly improves work safety and comfort at the Harbour. Approximately 70% of the lights in the closed area of Vuosaari Harbour were replaced with LEDs in 2021. The project will be completed in the spring of 2022.
Smart Port project making progress at West Harbour
The Port uses smart solutions for passenger car and lorry check-ins for more flexible and efficient departures and better vehicle-specific guidance.
- In West Harbour, the Smart Port gate system for ship passengers’ cars entered the test use phase in 2021. The smart technology used in the system collects car measurement information into the system automatically, based on which cars are then guided onto the right waiting lane by displays.
Read more about the Smart Port gate system