Action Port – The newsletter of Port of Kokkola 1/2023

OFKOKKOLANEWSLETTERFOR CUSTOMERSANDINTERESTED

KOKKOLANSATAMAOY:N SIDOSRYHMÄLEHTI2/2021

Kokkola nominated for the trans

-European TEN-T transport network

OX2 is also strongly involved in offshore wind power

The LTE network accelerates digitalization in the port of Kokkola

Port of Kokkola Newsletter for customers and interested parties

CHIEF EDITOR:

Torbjörn Witting

EDITORIAL STAFF:

Jorma Uusitalo

LAYOUT:

Olli Ilmanen/Creamedia

PRINTED IN:

Waasa Graphics Oy

PHOTOS:

Jorma Uusitalo

Alexandra Haapala

Ulla Nikula

Port of Kokkola

OX2

Mischa Keijser/Cultura via Getty Images

COVER PHOTO:

Port of Kokkola’s method of utilizing the wireless network and digitalization is also attracting extensive international attention.

Controlled and sustainable growth

Oneof the most important tasks of our port team is to conteplate and anticipate what kind of entity we want to develop from the port of Kokkola in the future. After the guidelines have been drawn, the practical implementation begins, step by step. One year we take slightly shorter steps, the next we take longer ones. Every year, however, we step forward. After ten years, we find that we have again done a lot of things that lead to even more cost-effective and smoother port logistics for the customers of Port of Kokkola. That, in a nutshell, is the principle according to which we develop the operations of the port in a long-term, controlled and sustainable way.

Port of Kokkola has long been an important port logistics service provider for the local large-scale industries, the mining industry and the retail trade. Green transition investments have emerged alongside these, in which the port plays a very central role. We have become a reliable partner for onshore wind farm builders, and elsewhere in this magazine we talk about a large collaboration agreement related to offshore wind power.

In addition to the above, investments related to hydrogen technology and battery chemicals are already planned and will further be designed for Kokkola. If even a part of the stated plans come true, it seems that despite the investments we make every year, we have done almost too little. So, we are moving towards the future, inspired by positive challenges.

We are preparing for future expansions with an environmental impact assessment currently in progress. With the EIA procedure, we make sure that we are a good neighbour who takes into account the environmental effect of our operations. At the same time, EIA acts as an enabler of the future, ensuring the creation of new jobs and the continuation of the development of the port. When construction is proactive and long-term, it is also more affordable, and above all, we can offer customers “ over-the-counter port capacity” exactly when customers need it.

The long back of winter has broken and we are already on the threshold of summer. I would once again like to thank our customers and other partners for the past year. I wish you all a very nice summer!

TORBJÖRN WITTING CEO

Port of Kokkola Ltd.

Port of Kokkola a strong candidate for the TEN-T core network

The port of Kokkola is becoming part of the core network in the Europe-wide TEN-T transport network. In April , the transport committee of the European Parliament discussed the position of ports in the transport network. The matter is still progressing to tripartite negotiations between the EU Commission, the Council of Member States and the Parliament.

Kokkola City’s Development Director Jonne Sandberg was happy to receive the news about the decision by the EU Parliament’s transport committee to upgrade the port of Kokkola from the comprehensive network to the core network.

– As the owner’s representative, I am naturally very satisfied that the messages about the importance of the port of Kokkola have been heeded and recognized in the European Union. Core network status makes the port of Kokkola an even more credible actor, improves financing opportunities and also tells about the standards that the port meets, Jonne Sandberg states and thanks MEP Elsi Katainen (Renew Europe Group) for her strong advocacy work.

According to Sandberg, as a port in the core network, Kokkola plays a very important role in terms of security of supply in the changed geopolitical situation. In addition, access to the core network, when realized, will strengthen the position of the port of

Kokkola as the number one export port in Northern Finland.

– As a part of the core network, the port of Kokkola is also an even stronger player as a promoter of the green transition. Considerable international green transition investments have been and will continue to be concentrated in Kokkola. When negotiating these, among the first questions that come up are the port and its capabilities, Jonne Sandberg recalls.

THE TEN-T NETWORK COMBINES Europe’s railways, inland waterways, roads, sea and air connections into an extensive transport network consisting of a comprehensive network and a core network. According to Elsi Katainen, member countries are entitled to apply for EU funding from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) for their ports that are part of the TEN-T network, in addition to which the ports have certain infrastructure-related obligations.

– After the transport committee, the legislation will still be discussed in tripartite negotiations. In the parliament, we were able to negotiate the best possible outcome of the matter, because the parliament now has a strong position on the inclusion of the port of Kokkola in the core network. In the negotiations, the Council must also join those in favour. We still have a way to go before the process is complete, Elsi Katainen commented on the matter at the end of May.

Access to the trans-European transport network, when realized, will strengthen the position of the Port of Kokkola as the number one export port in Northern Finland.

Antti Pehkonen, Sales Manager at Edzcom: Port of Kokkola is a model of utilizing a wireless network

When Edzcom’s Antti Pehkonen meets his international customers, he presents Port of Kokkola as an excellent example of the many ways the wireless LTE network can be used in daily operations. The wireless network brings different digital solutions into a practical part of the port’s operational management.

By utilizing the LTE network built by Edzcom, information is constantly collected about the activities taking place in the port area.

When, for example, maintenance workers had to climb ladders to the heights of the cabin of the port crane, to read sensor and alarm data or fuel quantity information, that information is now transmitted wirelessly to mobile devices.

Or think about the 15 companies and their employees who are daily operating in the port area, who need information about the port’s real-time situation? The real-time situation data collected for them with the help of a wireless network is now flexibly shared on several digital platforms. In this way, it is possible to see the snapshot regardless of the location, from your workplace, home, or when commuting.

And we shouldn’t forget all the machines and equipment, the reliability of which is vital for smooth port logistics. Information about machines and devices is transmitted via the LTE network, which can be used to remotely analyse the maintenance needs, for example, of the port cranes, and predict malfunctions before the cranes threaten to fail.

Naturally, the network also serves many other functions, such as the camera system and lighting control in the port area.

– It’s amazing how Port of Kokkola has started to develop the LTE network and the many ways they are using it today and continuing to develop it for new purposes. All in all, an excellent demonstration of digitization and knowledge-based management, and that is why the solutions implemented in the port of Kokkola

are of great interest to our international customers, summarises Antti Pehkonen.

IN 2019 EDZCOM delivered to Port of Kokkola a wireless network, to which seven base stations are connected covering a total area of 580 hectares. In addition to bringing together the production equipment and the companies operating in the port, the network connects all three parts of the port. During the past spring, the LTE network has been updated to also meet future needs.

The updated network has now two mobile cores instead of the previous one, which are the brains of the entire network. This duplication of capacity brings more operational reliability to the operational activities of the port. According to Pehkonen, the 4G network will continue to perfectly serve the needs of the

Edzcom’s sales manager Antti Pehkonen describes the amazing way Kokkola Port develops and utilizes the LTE network in the port’s everyday operations.

example network

Port, but individual 5G points can also be added to the network, where there is a need for a higher than usual data transmission capacity.

– We have a maintenance meeting with the Port every month, where, among other things, we review the use of the network and both sides bring ideas to the table for developing the network.

With the LTE network update, Port of Kokkola also has plenty of subnets for different types of traffic, such as security systems and cameras. Port of Kokkola can hand over subnets to other operators in the port area as well.

– In that case, the operator will create its own secure subnet. Port of Kokkola cannot see the data of that subnet, and the user of the subnet, in turn, cannot see the data of Port of Kokkola, Pehkonen says.

WITH a customised, private LTE network, Port of Kokkola is not dependent on commercial data transmission solutions. Due to the extent of the port area, a fiber optic network covering the entire area was not an option for a comprehensive wireless network. Jyrki Roukala, Development Manager of Port of Kokkola, explains the reasons why it was decided to build a private wireless network in the port of Kokkola.

And what is the big picture like, within the framework of which the Port of Kokkola advances digitalization, in which LTE network is one area?

– For us, digital is built on the fact that there are operational control tools, which currently comprise more than 20 different software. In addition, there are comprehensive micro support services provided by the City of Kokkola for our daily use. It means terminal devices with software and data security solutions, and the third part of the whole is the LTE network. All of this is secured with firewall services, and in addition, in 2024, the NIS2 directive will guide issues related to cyber management.

According to Jyrki Roukala, what sets Port of Kokkola apart from other players in the industry is how extensively the LTE network is used in the port of Kokkola and how the information collected through the network is used in operational management.

– The large-scale collection and utilization of data is

– It’s been great traveling around Europe presenting the use of the LTE network and the digitalization in Kokkola Port and what they mean, says Jyrki Roukala, Kokkola Port’s Development Manager. He is able to view the port’s operations remotely, both from his workplace and externally from, say, a business trip.

essentially facilitated by the tool port strategy of our company. Thanks to that, Port of Kokkola not only owns the land areas, warehouses, freight terminals with conveyors, and port cranes and loaders in the, but also their data. Ownership of data is of great importance when developing digital solutions. It is actually at the centre of our digitalization development, Jyrki Roukala emphasizes.

Cost savings and increased efficiency

Digitization brings enormous new opportunities for management with information, which improves efficiency and increases cost savings. A good example of benefits that can be measured directly in money, is the port calls of the ship:

In the Baltic Sea, more than half of a ship’s costs is fuel. By utilizing operational management tools, Port of Kokkola is able to tell ships arriving at Kokkola exactly when they can dock. The ships then can adjust their speed accordingly, thus significantly saving on fuel costs.

According to the information received from the shipping companies, around €3,000-€5,000 can be saved in one port call by streamlining the collaboration between shipping companies and ports. For example, with one hundred annual port calls, the cost benefits obtained in this way are really significant.

In the port of Kokkola, the LTE network transmits data in the following areas, among others:

• Gate control

• Communication of scales

• Monitoring of well surfaces

• Electricity and water meter readings

• Weather stations and sea level measurements

• Maintenance alerts

• Safety and alarm devices, such as an ammonia leak alarm

• Real-time status information of machines and equipment

Port of Kokkola and OX2 to collaborate in the Laine offshore wind farm project

The renewable energy company OX2 Finland Oy is planning an offshore wind farm project in the Gulf of Bothnia, approximately 30 kilometres from the mainland and 32 kilometres from Pietarsaari. The Port of Kokkola and OX2 have agreed to collaborate, and the purpose of the collaboration is to promote the Laine offshore wind farm project by utilizing and developing the functions in the port of Kokkola.

that serves both onshore and offshore wind farm projects, Witting continues.

-Ports

play a key role in offshore wind power, and therefore it is important to plan together on how to best implement and coordinate the various functions. The port of Kokkola is in a good location for the Laine project, and our collaboration brings the project one step closer to implementation, says Laine Project Manager Olli Takalammi from OX2.

According to him, the recent familiarisation visit showed that the starting points in the port of Kokkola are very good from the point of view of OX2’s needs.

– Wide and load-bearing asphalt fields and a sufficiently load-bearing pier are the most important things. In addition to these requirements, covered storage space for certain components is needed, says Takalammi.

The parties will jointly work out how to ensure the smooth and cost-effective construction and maintenance of the Laine project. According to Torbjörn Witting, CEO of Port of Kokkola Ltd., the collaboration with OX2 will help the Port of Kokkola to take the next steps in the development of the port infrastructure.

– We are very pleased to be able to plan and prepare such a large project together with OX2. We have developed the port on a long-term basis, thanks to which we are already able to offer a superior port infrastructure

THE LAINE PROJECT comprises a maximum of 150 wind turbines, with an annual electricity production of approximately 11 terawatt hours (TWh). This is more than Olkiluoto 2 produced in 2020 (7.3 TWh). The wind farm is planned to be connected to Fingrid’s main grid at two different points. Electricity is brought ashore by sea cables, and on the mainland electricity transmission is done by land cables and overhead wires. The project also studies the possibility of green hydrogen production in marine areas.

In addition to the Laine project, OX2 has two other offshore wind farm projects in the economic zone of Gulf of Bothnia in Finland: Halla and Tyrsky. In May, the company announced that Ingka Investments of Ingka Group, the owner and operator of IKEA Retail, will join the projects with a 49 percent ownership stake. The value of the contract is €30 million.

– Finland has a huge potential for offshore wind power, which can be used to produce electricity for Finland’s growing energy needs. The signed agreement now ensures that together we can increase the production of competitively priced renewable energy, increase energy self-sufficiency, and enable industrial projects that need renewable electricity in Finland, OX2 Finland Country Manager Teemu Loikkanen comments on the IKEA partnership.

More about the cooperation between Kokkola Port and OX2 and offshore wind on the next page.

Ports play a key role in the construction of offshore wind power. OX2 is planning the Laine offshore wind farm in the Gulf of Bothnia, about 30 kilometres off the mainland.

PHOTO: OX2

Logistics industry players gather in Munich

In May, the representatives of Port of Kokkola visited the world’s leading Transport Logistic trade fair event in Munich, Germany, which focused on logistics, information technology and supply chain management. The fair attracted more than 75,000 visitors from more than 120 countries. There were approximately 2,300 exhibitors from a total of 67 countries.

– At the fair, we were able to meet our international customers, colleagues, and other stakeholders. All in all,

the event offered an excellent opportunity to exchange news on current events. So far, Port of Kokkola has not had its own stand at the fair, which is organised every two years, but we decided that it would be good for us to participate in the event, for example, in the Finland stand, together with other industry players, says Port of Kokkola’s Marketing Secretary Alexandra Haapala.The next event will be held in June 2025.

The Transport Logistic trade fair gathered more than 75,000 visitors to Munich, including a large number of Finnish logistics and ICT operators.

Offshore wind power production is increasing worldwide. Operating in ten market areas, OX2 has three offshore wind power projects in Finland in the project development phase in the in the Finnish economic zone of Gulf of Bothnia.

Offshore wind power accelerates the production of renewable energy and increases the energy self-sufficiency of states. The fresh report on the regional economic effects of offshore wind power published by the Wind Energy Association shows that, at best, offshore wind power also has very significant employment and tax effects.

In the spring of 2023, the total capacity of the planned offshore wind power projects in Finland was approximately 33 GW, and the projects are estimated

OX2 is also growing as a developer of offshore wind power

to be realized by 2045. According to this, the projects’ lifetime employment effects on Finland could be up to 224,000 person-years, and the tax effects could be 4.5 billion euros.

Achieving the full potential related to offshore wind power projects, however, requires increasing the degree of domesticity of the projects. According to the report, investments in the value chain of offshore wind power construction, such as port infrastructure, pay off in terms of employment and tax effects.

– As the report published by the Wind Energy Association shows, the employment effect of offshore wind power is really significant from a societal point of view, in addition to which offshore wind power curbs climate change and increases domestic renewable energy production. That’s why we at OX2 work hard and do this work with passion, says Janne Lamberg, the company’s offshore wind business director.

OX2 has about 20 years of experience in renewables energy. The company focuses on wind and solar power, and it also develops solutions related to energy storage. Although the construction of offshore wind power is still quite new in Finland, Lamberg emphasizes that OX2 is already an experienced player in offshore wind.

– In onshore wind power, we have grown into Europe’s largest project developer. Since we have a lot of strategic tools in onshore wind power that are consistent with offshore wind, the company’s decision five years ago to also get involved in offshore wind was a natural continuation of the work done on wind power, he says.

According to Lamberg, the company is not starting from scratch in Finland, because OX2, as an international organization, has a lot of German, Polish, Danish

and Swedish offshore wind expertise, which is now being utilized in Finnish projects.

The production costs of onshore wind power have decreased rapidly in recent years thanks to technological developments. Janne Lamberg believes that a similar development will be seen in offshore wind power, although ice conditions, for example, pose their own challenges to construction.

– In Sweden, the government wants to be strongly involved in the green transition and offshore wind power. We hope the same from Finland’s new government. Instead of seeking income from offshore wind power through taxation, the benefits of offshore wind power to society will hopefully rather be seen through how much offshore wind power attracts other investments and strengthens the regional economy, Lamberg states.

– The employment effect of offshore wind power is really significant in society, says Janne Lamberg, business director of offshore wind power at OX2.

PHOTO: OX2

Bold components require bold port infrastructure

Offshore wind turbines do not differ from onshore wind turbines in terms of their appearance. On the other hand, in terms of size and weight, power plants erected at sea are considerably more substantial than landbased wind power plants. They also set their specific requirements for the port’s field areas and wharves.

Olli Takalammi, Project Manager of the Laine offshore wind farm from OX2, says that the port of Kokkola was selected as the company’s port partner for several reasons. One of them is the location, i.e. the port is located geographically relatively close to the project area, which especially helps the construction phase. When it takes less time to move from the port to the sea, then there is more time for the actual installation and commissioning.

Another reason is the need for space, and the opportunities available in the port of Kokkola to expand the field areas from the current one.

– The construction phase of an offshore wind farm in particular requires a lot of space. More of it is also needed in Kokkola, but Port of Kokkola already has good investment plans. The need for space is not only for temporary storage of components, but there is a lot of pre-assembly and commissioning in offshore wind power, which takes place in the port,

Olli Takalammi says.

The pre-assembly and commissioning in the port speed up the actual installation of the power plants at sea, where wind conditions and sea conditions make work chal-

lenging. If in onshore wind power it generally takes 4-5 days to set up, at sea it should be ready in one day.

PORT INFRASTRUCTURE, in addition to the available hectares, demands are made on, among other things, the load carrying capacity of the field areas and, above all, the quay, so that it is sufficient for large components. Electricity infrastructure is also needed for the commissioning of the power plants.

The deep channel into the port of Kokkola perfectly serves the ships that transport the components to the port. In addition to them, you can see Jack-Up ships, called workhorses for heavy lifting, on the water during the construction of offshore wind power. They have legs, with the help of which the ship is lifted into the air and thus provides a stable lift for the crane. This requires the load-bearing capacity of the sea bed both at sea and in the port. Power plant manufacturers also play a big role in construction and commissioning, and they also define their own needs for the ports.

– Ports play an important role throughout the technical life cycle of offshore wind farms, Olli Takalammi refers, for example, to maintenance work during operation. In the initial phase, the collaboration between Port of Kokkola and OX2 means a great deal of mutual exchange of information about plans and possible changes, in order to ensure a good end result that serves the whole within the planned schedule.

The environmental impact assessment (EIA) phase of the Laine project is currently underway, and Takalammi estimates that the EIA will be available at the turn of next year.

– OX2’s principle is to have an open dialogue with various stakeholders from the beginning of the projects. Even in offshore wind power projects, we have organized additional information events that have not been connected to the EIA process. By doing this, we can better take into account different points of view.

If things progress smoothly, the construction of the offshore wind farm could start in 2027, according to Takalammi, and the actual construction of the power plants would begin at the end of the decade.

Olli Takalammi works as the Project Manager of the Laine offshore wind farm.

– The deep channel into the port of Kokkola perfectly serves the ships that transport the components.

PROJECT MANAGER OLLI TAKALAMMI

The Operations Manager does his work at the centre of port logistics

The port of Kokkola is the hub of transport chains, where sea transport, rail transport and road transport meet. Technical Supervisor Teemu Petäjävuori plays a key role in ensuring that the logistics complex operates efficiently and reliably.

Teemu Petäjävuori can be credibly described as an experienced professional in the field of logistics. In his earlier working career, he worked in logistics both in a large industry using port services and in road and rail transport.

Petäjävuori says that in logistics it is especially important to visualise the whole. You need to know the amount of time each step in the logistics chain takes, and which affects what. Resources must be in the right place at the right time, and if something goes wrong at the upstream end of the chain, it will be reflected

in difficulties at the downstream end of the logistics chain.

It is very much about anticipation. About doing the right things at the right time.

– If the grooved rails on the tracks are not cleared from snow or cleaned from debris, the wagons cannot not travel along them. That is why the maintenance tasks in the winter must be planned so that the wagons get there according to the schedule, he gives as an example.

ANOTHER EXAMPLE of foresight is related to port cranes and the various freight traffics passing through the port.

– When the ship arrives at the pier, preparatory work must be done. If, for example, a container ship has been unloaded late in the evening, and the

Teemu Petäjävuori, Operations Manager, often does, for example, maintenance and cleaning of gears on the rail network in the port area.

next morning the loading of a fertilizer ship begins, the cranes must have the right buckets ready and the cranes refuelled. Likewise, it is necessary to anticipate which types of ships are announced and when they will arrive at the port in general, so that berths are reserved for the ships and enough workers ready to handle the cargo. If necessary, we give the port operators our own view on what kind of arrangements is required to optimise the rational and efficient use of resources. With maintenance, it is important to plan and schedule the maintenance of machines and equipment so that all traffic in the port runs smoothly at all times.

Training is an essential part of the Operations Manager’s job. His training for supervisor of rail track work qualifies Petäjävuori for, among other things, the planning of rail track works. The lessons learned from the training for lifting supervisor are needed in the port of Kokkola today, especially in the lifting of wind turbine components.

A LOT of times, Petäjävuori puts on his outdoor work clothes and drives to a harbour area where there , for example, is a need for maintenance. For that, there are tools for many purposes in the boot of his car.

Port of Kokkola owns about 12 kilometres of rail tracks alone, and the amount cargo of moving on the tracks is really huge. Careful maintenance of the tracks is important above all for safety, but also because even a small derailment of carriages becomes very expensive.

– On the tracks, I can address a large part of the problems that arise in a normal situation within a quick response time. Usual such troubleshooting includes, for instance, defrosting of gears, greasing and other maintenance actions, and cleaning the sliding surfaces of the gears.

In addition to the fact that the Operations Manager must be in charge of the day-to-day operation and maintenance of cranes and rail traffic, his job description includes many other things.

Among other things, Petäjävuori supervises the land traffic in the port area and grants or does not grant access passes to the area, participates in the Port’s quality work, prepares shift lists for crane drivers and port supervisors as the supervisor, handles practical matters related to vehicle scales and is centrally involved in the Port’s IT procurements. He is also qualified for the ISPS system, which increases maritime safety.

Petäjävuori is a mechanical and production engineering engineer by training, but he ended up working in the logistics field. There has been no need to regret that decision.

– I would not say that this work is in any way difficult, but it is interesting. The soul of an artist does not thrive in this in this job, whereas an engineer-like attitude serves the purpose much better. Feelings of success come from, for example, knowing how to optimise crane resources cost-effectively. It also feels good when you have received positive feedback on the wellrun transport of wind turbine components.

HIS FREE TIME Teemu Petäjävuori spends exercising.

– I go to the gym at least three times a week, and I am the team manager of the Nibacos women’s floorball team. I also got a company electric bike, which I use for commuting, and it is really great to ride the bike otherwise as well.

A year ago, the vehicle collection was topped up with a 600 cc Suzuki motorcycle. With a laugh Petäjävuori admits that he is a motorcycle enthusiast. Instead of going on hundreds of kilometres on road trips, Petäjävuori says that he heads down winding narrow roads to look at the scenery, and, when possible, stops at an ice cream stand.

– Training is an essential part of job.

TECHNICAL SUPERVISOR TEEMU PETÄJÄVUORI

– Safety is the starting point for all work in the port area, emphasizes Teemu Petäjävuori, Operations Manager.