Ports

Port terminal will be renovated into bright and modern premises

Naantali port terminal is currently heated with geothermal energy. The renovated terminal also has room for new tenants.
photo: LPR ARCHITECTS

Complete renovation of the Naantali port terminal, originally built in 1974, has started. The goal of the renovation project is to bring the building up to the standard of a new building in terms of e.g. functionality and energy-efficiency. Furthermore, the geothermal energy project, now close to completion, will allow for the heating and cooling of the premises using geothermal energy.

The renovation will be completed in stages. The first floor of the terminal building will be completed in August 2023 and will serve as the departure and arrival hall for passengers travelling on foot. The other premises are due for completion in spring 2024.

The planning of the renovation aims at taking better into account the current purpose of the terminal building, which will allow for offering office premises for rent, and new office premises will later be available to new customers as well.

NEW SUPERSTAR CLASS VESSELS IN NAANTALI–LÅNGNÄS–KAPELLSKÄR LINER SERVICE IN 2023

Finnlines’ ropax new building programme is proceeding well. The second Superstar class vessel, Finncanopus, was launched at China Merchants Jinling’s shipyard in Weihai on 30 December 2022. The first one, Finnsirius, was launched already in August last year. Finnlines’ Superstar class passenger-cargo vessels, or ropax vessels, will start operating in 2023 between Finland and Sweden on the Naantali–Långnäs– Kapellskär route.

Finnlines presented its new Superstar vessels at the Matka Nordic Travel Fair in Helsinki on 21–22 January 2023 where the company also announced that as a new feature in this summer also for vessels Finnswan and Europalink the Naantali– Kapellskär route will have 97 roundtrip departures with programme aimed especially at children.

Both new vessels have a passenger capacity of around 1 100 people which is approximately twice the capacity of the current Star class vessels used on the route. Cargo capacity on board the new vessels will also increase from the current circa 4 000 lane metres to 5 200 lane metres. Due to the new vessels, we have initiated several construction and renovation projects for improving the infrastructure and the customer experience in particular in the Port of Naantali. With the introduction of the new vessels, the Port is also implementing new traffic arrangements about which we will provide more information at a later date.

An automooring system for automated mooring and unmooring of vessels is being completed for Superstar class vessels in the Port in spring, and it will also be introduced for Star class vessels later in the spring. The new system will speed up mooring and unmooring, improve the cost-efficiency of port operations, and increase safety.

The new vessels will also start using the shore-side electricity supply currently under construction. While berthed in Naantali, ships can use direct shore-side electricity which will decrease emissions and reduce noise in the port area, as the vessels need not keep auxiliary engines running while at quay.

USE OF RENEWABLE FORMS OF ENERGY HAS INCREASED IN THE PORT

We have increased the use of renewable forms of energy in our buildings. We have improved energy-efficiency in conjunction with the renovation of the terminal building, and last year we introduced geothermal energy in the heating of the terminal, which enhances energy-efficiency.

Other energy savings, and projects for reducing maintenance costs and emissions have been implemented in the Port of Naantali as follows:

• In 2016, LED lights with new technology were introduced in the lighting of outdoor areas

• In 2020, outdoor field area arrangements were implemented that decreased unnecessary driving and transfers of heavy vehicles in the port area by around 60,000 km per year

• In 2021, the Port started purchasing and using wind-generated energy

DIRECT CONNECTIONS BY LOCAL PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICE FROM TURKU TO THE NAANTALI TERMINAL – SHIP PASSENGERS TRANSFER FROM TERMINAL BY BUS DIRECTLY TO THE SHIP

So far Finnlines has taken on board in Naantali commercial travellers who sail the Långnäs–Kapelskär route with a vehicle, but from the next autumn on the new vessels will offer a completely updated system for passengers on foot as well.

There will be a new direct connection from Turku to the Naantali port terminal provided by the local public transport system Föli, which will facilitate the departure and arrival of ship passengers. The passengers will be picked up from the renovated port terminal by a bus that carries the passengers directly into the ship.

The range of services on board the ship will also increase regarding conferences and events, as the new vessels offer new meeting and conference rooms for arranging various training and other events.

by: Tarja Siekkinen