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 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.

– 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.

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