Investing in tomorrow, today Finland's foremost dry bulk port at l<okkola has proved itself worthy of working with some of the world's major importers and exporters of all types of cargo, whatever the weight , dimensions, composition, origination or destination.
T
oday l<okkola is regarded as one of Finland's most versatile, efficient and compact ports, ofFering rapid onward connections by sea to
the rest of Europe, Asia and North America through regular feeder services and charter operations plus direct rail and road services to all parts of Finland
and neighbouring territories. There are now scheduled sailings between l<okkola and Antwerp, as well as to other European and Asian ports. Like other visionary ports planning
"We are confident we can handle just about any commodity of any size, here at the port. We are fortunate in having three separate ports in Kokkola, each offering quays, warehousing, cranes, rail tracks and committed staff dedicated to turning vessels around in the fastest possible time."
to expand operations and attract more business, l<okkola has invested heavily in new infrastructure in order to become a port for tomorrow as well as
€45 million in the last five years; and €15 million in
today. More than
2011
€100
million has been invested in
infrastructure enhancements since 1ggo; almost
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Handbook and Directory
alone. A further €10 million is being invested
during
2012 .
Port of l<okkola is working on plans to create an
we always try to be one step ahead by anticipating
extra 100 hectares of development space within the port estate, including new quays and hard standing
their future needs. We are currently monitoring the
areas for covered warehousing. l<okko la currently offers more than 8o,ooom 2 of covered warehousing space- so,ooom 2 of which is less than 10 years old. "We are always aware that as traffic grows there is
needs of our existing customers based on their present and future requirements and projections. We then create new facilities and infrastructure before inviting our customers to come and use them:路 Witting notes that much of the anticipated future
a dangerthat we might be squeezed for space within the port," says Port DirectorTorbjorn Witting.
business for Port of l<okkola will come from Finland's mining industry and heavy industrial sectors outside
"We are constantly looking for ways of enlarging the
of the country. "We are confident we can handle just about any
size of the port and so we plan that up to 8o% of the new space will be reclaimed from the sea. "We are also in a position to extend existing facilities as required. For example, we are currently expanding our Rail Wagon Tippler Terminal and have already added a warehouse onto our All Weather Terminal. But if required, we can further extend these facilities to accommodate more vessels or railway wagons. Everything can be built to satisfy the laws of customer demand and supply." He adds: "Everything we do is customer-driven and
commodity of any size, here at our facilities. We are fortunate in having three separate ports in l<okkola, each offering quays, warehousing, cranes, rail tracks and committed staff dedicated to turning vessels around in the fastest possible time and delivering their cargo to a final destination just as quickly," he says. "Port of l<okkola is always ready to welcome new clients too. If they want to come here we tell them that we are ready to welcome them from OJ.OO hours tomorrow- or earlier if they prefer!"
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Port of Kokkola
25
DEEP PORT Expanding l<okkola's existing 35-hectare Deep Port site by a further 30 hectares is costing nearly €8o million, according to the Port's Financial Manager, Vuokko l<alliokoski. Works commenced in 2009. "The project is being undertaken in three separate stages based on customer demand. Stage one, costing €20 million, involved the creation ofl,ooom of new quay areas, construction of new embankments within the port area and fi ll ing in water-covered areas to create new land," she exp lains. Stage two, costing €18 million, included laying new rail tracks in the form of a 'loop system' starting in the Genera l Port and running into the Deep Port and Si lverstone Port before re-joining the main tracks running into the industrial area . These al l link into Fin land's main rail network skm from the port. With a 13m draft, l<okkola's Deep Port allows Panamax class vessels to load shipments up to ?s.ooo tons at the berth, while larger Capesize vessels have loaded more than wo,ooo tons . In 2009 the harbour's 420m-long deep quay was extended by
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Port of Kokkola
Handbook and Directory
Vuokko Kalliokoski, Finance Manager, Port of l<ol<l<ola
a further 10om allowing two Panamax vessels to be
the crane is electrically powered and benefits
berthed simultaneously. The project cost €3-45
include low energy consumption compared to other
million, of which €1.38 million was contributed by the
materials handling machines. It also offers smooth
EU. In 2012 the quay will be extended by a further
crane movements and high operator comfort .
11om to 63om, with the capability for further extension to a total length of1,soom when required. In 2010 the Deep Port was equipped with an
The Deep Port is also the location of l<okkola's Rail Wagon TipplerTerminal, the first in Finland, built at a cost of around €4 million, which opened in june
additional quayside crane, costing €2 million,
2008 and is capable of handling nearly three million
supplementing its four existing cranes (3 x 40 ton
tons of Russian iron pellets annually.
and 1 x 10 ton). The new equilibrium crane,
The system, manufactured byThyssenl<rupp
manufactured byE-Crane International, handles a
Fordertechnik GmbH, has a lifting capacity of up to
variety of bulk materials. The crane has an outreach
94 tons (66 tons of cargo plus up to 28 tons of rail
of 35m, grabbing capability of 21 tons and lift capacity of 28 tons. Mounted on a rail-bound gantry,
a designated space inside the tippler terminal, leaving
wagon). Wagons are automatically positioned within a gap of around 30omm between wagon buffers . As
The Deep Port received an additional 100 ton crane in 2010 to supplement its four existing 40 tonne cranes. Costing €2 million, the equilibrium crane handles a variety of bulk materials, including iron ore pellets.
soon as light barriers indicate that wagons are correctly positioned, they are lifted by a 355hp engine, gently rotated and the contents discharged into a pit. While the tippler is turning, a side-arm charger raises to return the empty wagon and pushes the trainload forward by one wagon length . As originally installed, each automated seq uence
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Port of Kokkola
27
took just under four minutes to complete and the system was capable of handling up to 16 wagons per hour. During
2 011,
Port of l<okkola invested
â&#x201A;Ź1 .8
million in upgrading the tippler to handle 20 wagons per hour using a new robotic system . Not only is the enhanced tippler operation both faster and more precise, the system can discharge up to 1,300 tons per hour of iron pellets, concentrates and coal. Port of l<okkola regards rotary tipplers as the most efjlcient way to discharge bulk goods entering ports in toploader wagons arriving from key markets. A second tippler terminal is also under consideration. "The final stage of the Deep Port expansion plan will be the most expensive, costing around â&#x201A;Ź29 million to include the construction of a new conveyor system to accommodate the needs of
Engineering Solutions for the Future.
present and future customers . Special conveyors are
• Capesize vessels of up to 17o,ooo DWT
also being designed to carry cargo efficiently from
• Storage of soo,ooo tons of bulk cargo (achieved in
vessels into current and future warehouses," adds
2010) and up to one million tons when additional
l<alliokoski. All Deep Port investments will be in place by 2020 and significantly increase the level of rail -borne traffic entering and leaving the port. The Euro Tracks
storage areas are completed at the end of stage three in 2020. In addition, two loading stackers suitable for Panamax and Capesize vessels will be introduced
rail corridor linking the port to Finland's mainline
plus two 40-50 ton mobile harbour cranes for
railway system is regarded as one of the best of its
handling bulk products.
kind in northern Europe . By the end of 2015 the Deep Port will be equipped to handle:
SILVERSTONE PORT
• Handymax vessels of up to so,ooo DWT size
Port of l<okkola invested €?.9 million in the
• Panamax class vessels of up to 75,000 DWT size
Silverstone Port area during 2011. In 2007 the Port acquired 11.5 hectares of land on the south side of
All Deep Port investments will be in place by 2020 and significantly increase the level of rail-borne traffic entering and leaving the port. The Euro Tracks rail corridor linking the port to Finland's mainline railway system is regarded as one of the best of its kind in northern Europe.
the Deep Port basin from Finnish chemicals and fertiliser manufacturer l<emira. Now re-named the Silverstone Port, the strategically positioned acquisition triggered a major planning process for the area, including the recent construction of a new 158m-long quay costing €5 million built adjacent to the existing 16om-long quay. Work was completed at the end of 2011 and there is an option to extend the quay by a further gom on
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29
Around 30,ooom 2 of newly reclaimed land in the Silverstone Port became ready for use in january 2012. The €5 million project called for over 30o,ooo tons of hard rock to be blasted from a local quarry site and transported the short distance by road to the port for discharging into the 7m deep basin.
hard standing and banking areas shored up with large boulders. There is an option to further extend the newly reclaimed area in a south-westerly direction towards the General Port by a further 200 hectares in the future. The Silverstone Port offers specia li sed handling of light dry bulk shipments including phosphates, calcium phosphate, ammonia and potassium salt.
GENERAL PORT The 300m-long Shore Quay in l<okkola's General
demand. Depth alongside the new quay is 11m . Around 30,ooom 2 of newly reclaimed land in the
Port was built between 1960-1965 and the first cranes to be acquired arrived shortly afterwards.
Silverstone Port became ready for use in January
Today the General Port covers 15 hectares and plans
2012. The €S million project called for over 30o,ooo
are underway to expand the area by a further 12
tons of hard rock to be blasted from a local quarry
hectares . The area is dominated by l<okko la's €20
site and transported the short distance by road to
million All WeatherTerminal, opened in 2005 which
the port for discharging into the 7m deep basin. On
enables vessels up to 9,500 DWT to load and
completion, the surface was covered with tarmac
discharge in a covered berth unique among
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CORPORATISATION ON THE WAY
northern European ports. The AWT quay is the busiest wharf in the General Port. Principal cargoes handled in the General Port include cement, limestone, aluminium clay, calcium chloride, containers, palletised goods and timber products, including wood pellets. Over10o,ooo tons of timber products are shipped annually through the General Port, much of it bound for Egypt and other North African countries. Warehousing for dry bulk, containerised, timber and general cargo customers is a value-added service offered by the port and around 40,ooom 2 of covered and open-sided space in the General Port is now available . +
Today the General Port covers 15 hectares and plans are underway to expand the area by a further 12 hectares.
Like other municipally-owned sea ports and organisations in Finland, Port of Kokkola is gearing up for'corporatisation' in 2014. The European Union has stipulated that all locally-owned ports and other municipal enterprises must compete on the same terms as private companies by paying taxes directly to the government based on profit . Although customers will not notice any difference, the Port's back office administrative activities will change in 2014 when the City of Kokkola- which has always owned all of the port's shares- will transform Port of Kokkola into a limited company owned by the city. Although the City of Kokkola will retain its shares, the way the port pays taxes, pensions, deals in collective bargaining with staff and other issues will change . l<okkola, alongside all other municipallyowned ports in Finland, has created an inventory of all its assets including buildings, equipment and infrastructure on the port estate to estimate its overall market value as a 'commercial organisation'. Working groups are now meeting on a regular basis to clarify the modifications to be introduced once 'corporatisation' of ports goes ahead . The Finnish government is expected to unveil the final shape of the changes during 2012 . The profitable Port of Kokkola has always traded on commercial lines and been a centre for international business and commerce for several centuries . Manufacturing industries, boatbuilding , dairy farming, hunting and fishing have also been- and remain- vital forms of livelihood for the local population.
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