The Port of Pori has a perfect location for pre-installation and maintenance services for offshore wind farms, and a long-term investment programme enables the continuous development of operations.
“We have a long history of heavy industry and the maritime transport it requires. Our location is excellent: There is no archipelago in front of Pori and the fairways are easy to navigate. Offshore wind projects in the entire Bothnian Sea can be operated from Pori,” says Vesa Mäkilä, Managing Director of the Port of Pori.
In addition to deep fairways, there are also good land connections: the railways run all the way to the quays and highway 2 extends directly to the port area. Mäkilä explains the recent, successful testing of the transport route for heavy and large items from the Enersense shipyard area through the port to the Kallonlahti quays. In order for the offshore wind hub to operate efficiently, internal logistics between the port and the surrounding storage areas – avoiding the use of public roads – is extremely important.
Tens of millions of euros were invested in the port in the 2020s, including two new quays that meet the requirements of current traffic and a RoRo ramp and its background fields, which will be completed in late 2024. The ramp can be used to transport very heavy items, which means that it can handle all possible transports ranging from heavy military vehicles to nacelles, i.e. the engine rooms of wind turbines, thanks to its load capacity and size.
“With the current infrastructure, we can manage the logistics of the two Hyötytuuli offshore demo power plants with a capacity of at least 15 MW. The upcoming major expansion of the offshore wind hub will require a quay of a completely new class in terms of load capacity and the associated field area, for which preliminary planning has already been completed to a large extent. We are ready when the wind power investments start.”
Space for a large centre
The Port of Pori consists of two large port areas, Mäntyluoto and Tahkoluoto. The offshore wind hub is located in Mäntyluoto, and the electricity produced by the power plants is fed into the national grid through Tahkoluoto. Potential new industrial operators using electricity produced from offshore wind would also focus on Tahkoluoto. It is, of course, advantageous if at least part of the electricity produced can be used right next to the shore.
“The port area is large and there is room for expansion, and the land use plans enable diverse industrial development. Our location is also favourable in this respect. All the key functions needed for the offshore wind hub’s logistics will be delivered to Mäntyluoto smoothly: transport of components, intermediate storage, assembly and final transport of pre-assembled wind power plant components to the offshore wind farms.”
The offshore wind hub’s quays must have an exceptionally high load-bearing capacity: for example, turbines are lifted from them to the installation vessels. The Port of Pori has gained a lot of valuable information from its partner ports in Denmark and the Netherlands, which have built offshore wind power hubs. For example, fields where components weighing hundreds of tonnes are handled should not be covered with asphalt, as the straightening of dents is more difficult in asphalt than in gravel.
The Port of Pori’s offshore wind expertise has also developed thanks to the world’s first freezing sea wind farm which is already operating in the area.
“That is a big advantage for us. We have gained expertise and know-how in operating in the most demanding conditions.”
Continuous improvement
The investments required by the offshore wind hub can be started quickly, as the port already has an excellent infrastructure and a range of services.
“In terms of security of supply transports, we are already the leading port in Western Finland, particularly in liquid bulk products, and we are continuously developing all other transport segments in line with our strategy,” says Mäkilä.
The port is seeking growth from offshore wind farms and other renewable energy projects, recycled materials, military transport needed by future NATO bases and more traditional bulk and container traffic. The investments in the offshore wind hub serve the development of the port more extensively.
“Motivation is the key, combined with a desire to continuously improve our operations. We are not just developing the port, but Pori and the entire Satakunta.”