Port of Helsinki
Responsible operations and wide-scope economical effects
The Port of Helsinki promotes long-term well-being in Finland. The passengers and cargo travelling through the port have a huge impact on the Helsinki Metropolitan Area’s tourist services, the hotel and restaurant business, transport and retail business, and this impact extends to the entire country. The total value of the annual turnover from operations connected to the port is 1.6 billion euros. On the whole, these operations, together with their multiplier effect, provide work for 15,000 people.
The Port of Helsinki is Europe’s busiest international passenger port. Tourism is one of the fastest growing industries in Helsinki, and travel on the Baltic Sea has been continuously increasing since 2008. Yearly, sea passengers bring over 805 million euros (*) to the Helsinki Metropolitan Area.
The Port of Helsinki is Finland’s leading general port for foreign trade, which supports the business life in the Metropolitan Area and has an impact on the entire country and the everyday lives of Finns. The sea routes allow for goods to be transported sustainably as close to their final destinations as possible. The location of Vuosaari Harbour at the centre of Finnish logistics and daily consumer goods operations offers a functional and efficient route for export and import.
Profitability creates better operating conditions
The most important elements of responsible operation for the Port of Helsinki have their bases in the company’s values: productivity, responsibility and cooperation.
As a limited liability company, the Port of Helsinki is conducting financially profitable business activities. The company’s profitability is further improving the future operating conditions.
- In 2017, the company paid 3 million euros of taxes on its profit and distributed 5.7 million euros of dividends to the City of Helsinki.
Company’s key financial figures
Committed to responsible operations
At the core of the Port of Helsinki’s operation is the responsibility to look after the environment. In our everyday operations, we work to minimise our environmental impact and aim, for example, to constantly improve our energy consumption level. We work in close cooperation with the city and shipping companies in areas such as noise prevention. We also conduct environmental collaboration with international partners.
All of our harbours have environmental permits, which steer their operations, in accordance with the Environmental Protection Act. As traffic volumes increase, we are searching for solutions for utilising our existing resources more efficiently. The improved productivity will also be reflected in the relative decrease of environmental impacts.
- At the end of the year, the Port of Helsinki decided to introduce a new price model in 2018, which offers incentives to liner traffic companies to reduce the emissions and noise created by their vessels. A maximum discount of 3% may be granted on the vessel fees for measures undertaken to reduce the vessels’ environmental impact. Good results are a decisive factor.
Port of Helsinki offers price incentive to reduce vessel emissions and noise
- The Port of Helsinki is committed to work for the benefit of the Baltic Sea, and we take part in the joint Baltic Sea challenge between the cities of Helsinki and Turku. In 2017, the Port decided to participate in supporting the chair of the Economics of the Baltic Sea Protection at the University of Helsinki as part of the Baltic Sea initiative, until the end of the chair’s second term. The port also financially supported the Baltic Sea Action Group’s “Hyvä Happi” project.
The first floating Seabin in Northern Europe was installed to the Uunisaari quay in May. The Port of Helsinki is taking part in a three-year project, sponsored by Wärtsilä, by managing the operation and maintenance of the floating rubbish bins in Helsinki. The aim is to increase awareness of marine litter. The project approaches this challenge from various angles, focusing especially on education, research and technology. To the citizens, the Seabin project offers a tangible method for observing the state of our shared living environment and paying attention to their own actions. We all share the sea.
Northern Europes first floating rubbish bin launched
Safety forms the basis for our operations. The Port of Helsinki is improving its passenger safety in cooperation with its customers and the authorities, for example by taking regular part in safety drills. The work safety of our personnel, as well everyone else working in the port area, has priority in our operations.
- The occupational well-being improvement programme, which aims to reduce the frequency of occupational accidents, has been a success: In 2017, the Port of Helsinki’s frequency of occupational accidents went down to 8.
The frequency of occupational accidents reaches a good level
Cooperation is the key to mutual success
We listen to our customers and remain in close interaction with them. We develop our business operations to match the future needs of our customers and invest in making sea transport as smooth as possible.
- According to the annual customer satisfaction survey, the Port of Helsinki received an overall rating of 3.5 on a scale from 1 to 5. A total of 46% of the respondents said that the operations had improved over the past two years, and 44% stated that they remained at the same level. Room for improvement in well-functioning cooperation still remains.
Frequent cooperation with the area’s residents and companies and active communication on the operations of the port and its impacts are an essential part of the Port of Helsinki being a good neighbour. The fact that the passenger ports are located near the capital city’s centre and residential areas, as well as some of the busiest traffic regions, poses its challenges to the port operations.