News —
The amount of unitised cargo in the Port of Helsinki throughout 2011 totalled 10.2 million tonnes, 4% more than in the previous year.
Imports amounted to 5.3 million tonnes and exports to 4.9 million tonnes. Import increased 5% and export 3%.
The port of Helsinki continues to sponsor Olympic sailor Tapio Nirkko on his way to the sporting highlight of the year, the Summer Olympics in London in August.
Helsinki has been chosen as World Design Capital 2012. The thematic year will be celebrated also at the passenger terminals of the Port of Helsinki.
Vuosaari Harbour Maintenance System won the Bently Be Inspiderd award in the Innovation in Government category.
New Web clearance, an automatic lane and a self-service kiosk will shorten the through-put times and balance out peak periods at Vuosaari Harbour.
On 13 January, St Peter Line shipping company moved from Makasiini Terminal in the South Harbour to the West Terminal.
Last year, a record of almost 29,000 new VW cars passed through Vuosaari Harbour on their way to new owners. Fields filled by cars have been a familiar sight at the harbour, as Volkswagen Group reached an all-time record.
Due to an increase in costs, the Port of Helsinki raised the fees on its price list by an average of 2% at the beginning of the year. The revision is moderate, considering the index increase of 6% in the general level of costs.
Last year, for the first time, more than 10 million ship passengers passed through the Port of Helsinki. The passenger total in 2011 rose to 10.3 million, which signifies an increase of 5% over the comparison period. That figure is in the same category as the number of international passengers at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport every year.
The Federation of Finnish Technology Industries and the Port of Helsinki signed the Demo2013 project cooperation agreement in Helsinki on 7 December 2011. The project aims at a collaborative test run of noiseless and emission-free energy applications at Vuosaari Harbour.