Action Port – The newsletter of Port of Kokkola 3/2022

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 Jari Lapinoja

COVER PHOTO:

Handling wind turbine components in the Silverstone Port in Kokkola

PHOTO: JORMA UUSITALO

Controlled strategic

Atthe turn of the year, it is again time to thank both our customers and our partners for the past year, which has been very different. For Kokkola Port Ltd, the period in question has shown, above all, how important our wide customer base, consisting of both domestic and international operators, is to our company.

The expansion of the customer base has been made possible by the transformation of the Port of Kokkola from a public utility to a limited company in 2015 and the renewed business strategy that was adapted in conjunction with that. As a result of these changes, we can operate more commercially and at the same time seek new operating methods in a situation where we have defined ourselves as a logistics company.

One of our main goals has been to reduce our dependence on Russian traffic and related customer relationships. We have been prudent and made strategic changes in a controlled manner, preparing for identified risks. At the same time, it is good to remember that putting such big changes into practice requires an infinite amount of work, and the changes do not happen overnight. You must create a completely new concept, acquire new customers, and thereby embark on completely new business ventures. A successful example of this is Port of Kokkola’s recently taken role as a significant provider of logistics services for wind turbine components. At the same time as the new opportunities, we have developed the existing businesses, such as the bulk traffic, and acquired new direct customers in those fields.

Today, we can state that without the above measures, the year 2022 could have been even more difficult. That is why I want to highlight the competent and versatile Board of Directors of Port of Kokkola Ltd., who knew how to identify risks and prepare for them. Together with the management, the board has spent a lot of time getting to know things in advance, structuring things and setting goals. Thanks to this process, it has been possible to systematically move the development in the right direction. We estimate that if the dramatic changes in the operating environment had taken place a couple of years later, we would have completely avoided the negative impact on the results.

Elsewhere in this magazine, we talk about how Port of Kokkola extensively supports the green transition with its logistics services. We are, indeed, proud that our basic know-how can be used in the logistics of both wind turbine components and battery chemical refineries.

I want to conclude by saying thank you once again for the past year and wishing you all success in 2023!

TORBJÖRN WITTING CEO Port of Kokkola Ltd.

decisions helped us survive an exceptional

Optimizing lighting reduces electricity consumption

Asignificant part of the port’s annual electricity consumption goes to lighting up more than 500 hectares of land and water areas in the winter. By optimizing lighting with the help of automation, Port of Kokkola has succeeded in reducing the electricity consumption used for lighting by tens of percent.

– We have a control room application in use, which can be used to adjust lighting of the total port area as desired. Adjustment is possible in all areas where there is lighting, says Jarkko Sara-aho, head of maintenance in the port of Kokkola.

In order to make the optimization as precise as possible, the General Port lighting is divided into five areas, the Silverstone Port lighting into three and the Deep Port lighting into seven areas.

– Lighting is automated so that the lights turn on or off as indicated by the basic weekly active times of the day. There is then another supplementing schedule, in which the exceptions are marked according to the activities in the different areas. With one click, we can, for example, turn off the work light if there is no longer work going on in a specific area. Adjusting the lighting to both work lights or traffic lights can be done with a computer, tablet or mobile phone, says Sara-aho.

Lighting optimization is extended not only to area lighting but also to lighting in other areas, for example warehouses. Switching to LED lights also reduces energy consumption. LED lights are already in use almost everywhere in the port area.

Christmas Season started with the traditional Christmas porridge offered by Port of Kokkola to its neighbouring clients and partners. Thanks to all visitors for a pleasant time by the porridge bowl in the Port Office.

Port of Kokkola is heavily involved in the green transition

Port logistics plays an important role as energy production and traffic moves from fossil energy towards emission-free energy. Port of Kokkola’s logistics services are used by companies operating in the global market for battery clusters, as well as investors in building emission free energy wind farms, and the future hydrogen industry.

For the article below the Action Port publication asked three companies operating in the green transition space to explain the role that port logistics play in their business activities.

– The port plays a very important role because the main part of the raw materials arrive at the port of Kokkola and the products go out to the world mainly through the same port. The raw materials come from Africa, and we deliver products to Asia and some volumes also to Belgium, says Heikki Pihlaja, Managing Director of Umicore Finland Oy, who is located next to

Port of Kokkola is a strong actor in the logistics of wind turbine components.

the harbour in Kokkola’s large industrial area, Kokkola Industrial Park.

The company is part of the global Umicore Group, which has its headquarters in Belgium. Umicore Finland produces Precursor Cathode Active Material (pCAM) in Kokkola, which is further processed as active cathode material at other Umicore factories. Towards the end of the year, Umicore Finland announced that it is planning a significant expansion of its pCAM production and an increase of the cobalt processing rate in Kokkola.

– Typically, raw materials and products are transported in large bags. Traffic is weekly, and you can say that every feeder ship calling Kokkola arrives and departs with our products. Regular feeder traffic is very important to Umicore so that the materials move justin-time, says Heikki Pihlaja.

According to him, the immediate vicinity of the harbour is of major importance for efficiency. The materials are transferred from the ship and to the ship quickly without them having to be transport hundreds of kilometres by truck.

Heikki Pihlaja states that the local large industry operates in a very close collaboration with Port of Kokkola and hopes that the mutually beneficial growth will continue in the future. When speaking about Umicore Finland’s upcoming expansion plans, Pihlaja states, with a smile, that the investments will bring more work and business to Port of Kokkola.

– In the near future, we will discuss the right routing because our expansion is aimed towards the majority of our products going to Poland.

Port of Kokkola responds to customer needs, for example, by expanding the port fields and laying more rail tracks.

– When the port builds new land areas on the sea, our hopes are that construction also takes into account the needs of growth of the industry. In practice, this means, for example, coordinating industrial infrastructure and port infrastructure, says Heikki Pihlaja.

Keliber lithium hydroxide leaves for the world through the Port of Kokkola

Next year, Keliber, a mining and chemical battery company, will build a lithium chemical plant in the Kokkola Industrial Park, which will start production in 2025.

– The role of the Port of Kokkola is very significant for the company’s business. Keliber will deliver lithium hydroxide to the automotive manufacturing chain, for that, reliable deliveries and small warehouses are important. These require, among other things, excellent port logistics, says Hannu Hautala, CEO of Keliber.

Keliber will export battery grade lithium hydroxide (Battery Grade LiOH) via the Port of Kokkola. In the early stages of production, the company plans to bring raw materials that have been enriched abroad to its lithium chemical plant. Later, the concentrate comes from Keliber’s own concentrator built in Kaustinen. Keliber delivers Lithium hydroxide to its customers in 500 kg or 1,000 kg large bags made of completely airtight material.

What do Keliber’s transports require from the Port of Kokkola as a service provider?

– Above all, reliability and understanding that lithium hydroxide is a fine chemical that should be handled in the same way as food stuffs. The outer surface of the package should be flawless and clean when it arrives at the customer, says Hannu Hautala.

Keliber aims to be Europe’s first producer of lithium hydroxide using on its own ore. According to Hautala, this is still possible on the current schedule.

Managing Director Hannu Hautala, Keliber Ltd.

Managing Director Heikki Pihlaja, Umicore Finland Ltd.

Flexens is also interested in new marine traffic fuels

The project development company Flexens plans to build the largest clean hydrogen production plant in Finland, with a capacity of approximately 300 megawatts. According to Flexens, the location was selected because the area has an industrial ecosystem suitable for the production facility, including the port.

The plant’s main product is an ammonia used in the production of fertilizers, which is transported cost effectively with tankers. According to Berndt Schalin, CEO of Flexens, the Port of Kokkola is an interesting destination for the company not only as an export port but also because ammonia is becoming one of the fuels of future maritime transport.

– Maritime transport are looking for green fuel solutions such as ammonia. It is completely free of carbon dioxide emissions, and ammonia would allow long journeys without having to unduly increase the current fuel tank sizes of the ships. The first pilot programs are in progress and we are also involved. According to forecasts, ammonia could be more in wider commercial use around 2030.

According to him, Flexens has the expertise to support ports more widely in the energy breakthrough.

– For example, more demands are made on the electricity suply and harbor electricity grids, as more and more ships have charging batteries. We are interested in, for example, a solution where the manufacturing of future ship fuels connects to the same power grid section where the port also operates. The result could be an energy community, which would also include the harbor’s own renewable energy production with solar panels installed on the roofs of warehouses, Berndt Schalin outlines an overall solution tailored to the harbor environment.

Jervois Finland Oy also announced a new investment in Kokkola’s large-scale battery cluster operators in the Kokkola large industrial area, which doubles the company’s current cobolt production in Kokkola. If implemented, the investment will further strengthen the role of Kokkola in the international battery value chain.

Adding a major wind farm construction on the western coast of Finland to the whole, it is easy to see that the Kokkola large industrial area and the Port of Kokkola are located at the heart of the green transition. This is also taken into account by Kauppalehti, who specializes in the economy, which in December stated in its editorial,that Kokkola would be a model for the growth of the Finnish battery cluster.

According to Jonne Sandberg, Director of Development at the City of Kokkola, the current situation is not a coincidence. Namely, for several decades, longterm decisions have been made, which has, amongst others, enabled both battery material research and port investments.

– Today, we have a strong industrial infrastructure and logistical infrastructure in Kokkola. Significant credit also belongs to the operating and service model that was created in the large industrial area after Kemira’s operations were broken down into several parts.

When negotiations with new industrial actors are conducted, Sandberg says that logistics are always involved.

– In fact, already access to the negotiating table requires that we have a port in addition to the Tkem plot, which meets the criteria for, for example, Panamax vessel traffic, he says.

”Good decisions made over the decades”

Managing Director Berndt Schalin, Flexens Ltd.

Development Director

Jonne Sandberg, City of Kokkola.

The Finnish Border Guard is the professional internal security authority operating under the Ministry of the Interior. The Kokkola Coast Guard Station, which is part of the Western Finland Coast Guard, has its base right next door to the Port of Kokkola. The Coast Guard station staff is a familiar sight in the harbour area as they perform, for example, official duties together with Customs.

-We carry out, among other things, ship surveys and inspections related to the transport of hazardous substances, in cooperation with representatives of Traficom and the Port. In addition to these, we work with other authorities and the Port on ISPS issues that increase maritime safety, and we move around and are visible in the harbour area, says Master Coast Guard Mika Ahola from the Kokkola Coast Guard Station. The port department is also located in the Ykspihlaja part of town, near the Port. The Coast Guard Station in

Kokkola has, among other things, a patrol boat, a fast RIB boat, a hydrocopter, a hovercraft and snowmobiles. In addition, the Border Guard patrols in Western Finland in two Tursas-class patrol ships. If the mission requires aircraft, it will be available from Turku or Rovaniemi.

– The nearest marine rescue helicopter is in Umeå at the Swedish Maritime Administration, and we also work with them, says Mika Ahola.

Nine employees work at the Kokkola Coast Guard. Administratively, Kokkola operates under the Vallgrund Coast Guard Station in Mustasaari, Raippaluoto. Heading north, the next and at the same time the northernmost Coast Guard Station in the country operates from Virpiniemi to Haukipudas.

The West Finland Coast Guard is managed from Turku. It covers an area with about 2 million people and 20 port towns and 12 international border crossings. The West Finland Coast Guard stations guard 1,080 kilo-

The Finnish Border Guard operates on land, sea and

metres of maritime border and 48 kilometres of land border.

- From the Kokkola Coast Guard Station, we patrol about 2,000 hours a year, usually in the sea area between Oravainen and Kalajoki, says Ahola.

The majority of tasks are marine rescue

The Border Guard has a wide range of tasks. In addition to border control and border inspections, the tasks include marine rescue, environmental damage prevention, international cooperation, crime prevention and military national defence in cooperation with the Defence Forces.

Nationally, the Border Guard accumulates approximately 2,000 tasks per year, of which approximately 75 % are defined as marine rescue tasks. In turn, 55 % of marine rescue tasks are due to human reasons, that is, human activity.

– Because we are a military organization, of course, what is happening in Europe right now is reflected in our thinking. Everyone certainly looks today at the world with slightly different eyes. World politics are present here too, as it should be, says Mika Ahola.

In recent years, the general public has also become familiar with Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard.

– The Finnish Border Control model is recognized in the EU, and the Border Guard is actively sharing its expertise with Frontex. In practice, we have continuously staff and equipment abroad, for example in the Mediterranean, to monitor EU’s borders.

Environmental safety in maritime areas is monitored by satellites and surveillance flights. If oil spills are discovered somewhere, the Coast Guard takes samples and will take the investigation forward. According to Ahola, environmental safety has recently improved due to increased surveillance and large fines on shipping companies for illegal oil spills.

There are many summer cottages in the archipelago of Kokkola, Pietarsaari and Luoto, which is why there are plenty of boaters in the area. In the summer, the Coast Guard is focused on monitoring water traffic. Prior to that, in the spring and early summer, during the salmon run, the work in the Baltic Sea is focused on controlling fishing and the compliance of the EU Common Fisheries Policy.

The versatiliy of the work and nature is rewarding

Mika Ahola has worked for the Border Guard for over 22 years. The first 2.5 years at the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport border control and then with maritime duties, first at Kalajoki and then at the Kokkola Coast Guard Station. According to him, the versatility of the work is interesting, although also challenging.

– One day we are marine rescuers. The next day, we do joint stuff with Customs, the police or the rescue service, and then we are practicing with the Defence Forces at Vattajanniemi.

Ahola also says that the working days in nature are rewarding, especially when at the latitude of the Gulf of Bothnia one can still enjoy all four different seasons.

– In normal winters, the sea will have an ice cover and we can patrol with snowmobiles. Spring has its own great atmosphere when the waters are still cold, but the sun begins to warm. In the summer, when it is pretty and warm, it is nice to move around the open sea. Each season creates its own framework for this work.

Equipment maintenance is part of the basic tasks at the Coast Guard Station. Junior Coast Guard Niko Isokangas also arrived at the Port Authorities together with Master Coast Guard Mika Ahola (right).

air– The Finnish border control model is valued in Europe,

MIKA AHOLA MASTER COAST GUARD

Crane drivers Jani Kangasvieri (to the left), Jari Lapinoja, and Boris Pollari are experienced professionals in their field.

Hoisting is an art form

The crane drivers are an important part of the port logistics for the wind turbine power plant components, as handling the components requires extreme care and a high level of professional skills. In the port of Kokkola the wind turbine power plant components are hoisted using the sturdiest crane found in the Bothnian Sea and the crane drivers have decades of experience of demanding hoists.

Port of Kokkola Ltd. has developed the Silverstone Port as a long-term project so that it will serve the logistics for the wind turbine power plant components as efficiently as possible. The harbour fields, which will be used for the storage of the components, are still being extended into the sea, and on the quay of the Silverstone port two 150 ton Gottwald harbour cranes dominate the view.

In order for the whole to serve in the manner expected, the crane drivers must be the top professionals in their field, who in addition to having practical skills

in many other areas, are expert team workers. When the components are hoisted from the ship’s deck and cargo holds on to the quay, the communication between all parties participating in the hoist must function seamlessly.

A successful hoist is the result of careful preparation

Jari Lapinoja, Boris Pollari, Jani Kangasvieri and Jarkko Mild form the core team of crane drivers in the Silverstone Port. They have a long and versatile career in the port of Kokkola. In addition to driving the Gottwald cranes they operate all kind of material handling machines as well as gantry cranes and cranes on rail and machines on wheels.

– The hoists of wind turbine power plant components are really demanding as the rotor blades are

long and the tower sections heavy. In the vessels, the components are tightly stored, and especially in the hold there is practically no extra space. Therefore the hoists must be straight, and any hits to the components must be avoided, Lapinoja, Pollari and Kangasvieri emphasize.

The actual hoist does not take very long, but the careful preparation of the hoist requires time. The customer has their own component handling guidelines , such as for securing the cargo. In addition, the cranes must travel to the exact correct spot in order to maximize the hoisting capacity of the crane. Every extra meter of the extended crane beam reduces the hoisting capacity.

– The crane driver must know the capacity of the crane and the hoisting curve of the loads. It is also important to find the centre point of all hoists, so that no pulling force is created to either side, Jari Lapinoja explains the details of a hoist.

In addition to the crane drivers the crane signallers play an important role.

– They are our eyes in the ship and on the quay where the crane driver does not have a proper line of sight. The cranes are not that close to the ship for us to, for instance, be able to accurately enough assess the height when the load is lifted from the hold and over the side of the vessel, Boris Pollari continues.

Jani Kangasvieri says that in tandem hoists the communication between the crane drivers is also important.

– The drivers guide each other by talking. Experience from various situations, for example the impact of wind, can only be gained by driving. Our advantage is that we have been working together for such a long time. We can communicate without misunderstanding, because each of us knows exactly what, how and when something has to be done during the various phases of a hoist.

Professionalism is that ,in addition to accuracy ,the job is done efficiently, because there is more than enough to be hoisted. The size of the vessels calling the port of Kokkola has increased also for the transports of wind turbine power plants, and there can be more than one hundred components stowed in three layers in the largest ships.

Working high up is not for everybody

Working at a height gives a special flavour to the crane driver’s job. Climbing up tens of metres high or finally descending down from there, has clearly shown some people that the job of a crane driver is not something for them.

– The stairs rise in an enclosed space, one does not see anything outside, and when finally up there, one opens the door to the operator’s cabin; at that stage

The views from the operator’s cabin of the crane are breath-taking, but working in a high place is not for everybody.

PHOTO: JARI LAPINOJA

many close the door quickly and turn back, Lapinoja and Pollari laugh.

Jani Kangasvieri remembers that it took some time to learn to perceive distances, when working high up.

– We move the cranes by driving from up there. At first the inclines felt really frightening, but now we are used to them, too, he says.

The trio has, during their working years, seen the strong growth of the traffic to the port of Kokkola. Jari Lapinoja started his job as crane driver in 1990, Boris Pollari in 1991, and Jani Kangasvieri in 2009. The working years have made them multi-skilled, Jacks of all trades in their own field. In addition to servicing their cranes daily, they are responsible for the winter maintenance of the port area and assist the lines men in mooring and unmooring the vessels.

Outside working hours Jari Lapinoja’s and Boris Pollari’s free-time is spent exercising, whereas Jani Kangasvieri says he spends his free time fixing and tuning cars.

This time the truck driver arriving to load in the Silverstone Port needed the local knowledge of the crane drivers

Tandem hoists of wind turbine power plant components require high professional skills and good inter-communication from the crane drivers