An Efficient Operator Is a Customer’s Advantage
Tuesday 07.07.2009 10:45
For Jussi Kaalikoski of Finnsteve, Loadmasters is an important business partner and the local representative of Evergreen. At the new Vuosaari Harbor in Helsinki, the opportunity to cooperate is better than ever, as all logistics services can be provided within the same terminal area for the very first time.
Finnsteve has built extremely efficient container handling operations in Vuosaari, Finland: top-technology container cranes and equipment and an export terminal are specifically designed for container loading. The containerization work and incoming goods are handled with the help of an optimized and efficient production control system.
Loadmasters has seen that the container handling offering of the port’s largest operator provides unbeatable benefits for customers. Jussi Kaalikoski, Finnsteve Sales Manager, says that the new Vuosaari port offers an ideal opportunity for connecting export industries with shipping companies.
“The majority of the container traffic coming to Finland comes through Helsinki. For export customers, this means that Vuosaari naturally has empty containers available for export shipments,” he says.
Good rail connections
A large part of the Vuosaari logistics is automated. Vehicles bringing containers or other individual loads are recognized based on their license plates at the terminal gate once Finnsteve has entered the data first into its own system and then into that of the Helsinki Port Authority. The gates open and the journey continues onwards from the operator’s own 8-lane gates. From there, the loads are taken to the container yards, the container storage or the export terminals.
Export loads from the forest industries arrive primarily to the port by railway. The Vuosaari Harbor can be accessed overnight from all of the significant industrial areas, even including the northernmost corners of Finland.
“Currently, trains arrive from five different locations. But if needs grow, VR, the Finnish National Railroad, has the possibility to increase the capacity,” says Kaalikoski.
The railway tracks reach to the very end of the port. Finnsteve’s terminal area has five track pairs of which two over 500-meter pairs enable even the largest container trains to be assembled.
Goods travel quickly
A large part of the forest industry exports for Finnsteve to handle come from the Metsäliitto Group. M-real, as a member company of this group, concentrates on overseas export of paper and board at Vuosaari and is also Loadmaster’s largest export customer.
Forest products that arrive by rail are containerized in Finnsteve’s export terminal. Goods move through the port at a quick pace. Ready containers are transferred from the container terminal yard according to a precise loading plan to Evergreen’s feeder traffic to the ocean ports, handled on the deck of the M/V Anne Sibum.
Kaalikoski is satisfied. According to him, the commissioning of the Vuosaari Harbor has proceeded smoothly after the first minor hiccoughs. The blizzards of November that hampered the start are now recalled with a smile.
The start-up is behind – and the port is now looking forward to an awakening in the global economy.
Finnsteve’s container operations at Vuosaari Harbor
- Container terminal capacity 600,000 TEU/year
- 5,000 TEU container yard
- 184 refer container places
- Containerization terminal (V15) 18,000 m2, capacity 1000,000 tons/year
- Export terminal (V9) 22,000 m2
- 750 meter dock for container ships
- 4 STS container cranes in the container terminal
- 1 STS container crane in the Roro terminal
- 7,000 TEU empty container depot area
