Being a sustainable development forerunner has been made a spearhead project in Port of Helsinki corporate level strategy. As part of that strategy, the Port has put together and published an ambitious Carbon Neutrality 2035 -programme in 2019.
While the Port is pledging to be fully carbon neutral by 2035 at the latest, a strong focus of the program is also on incentivizing and helping customers and stakeholders in their own carbon neutrality work:
- The Port is committed to equipping 9 berths with new OPS capability, with the first new outlet becoming operational in 2020. Port of Helsinki has also joined forces with other Baltic ports to expand the OPS offering in the Baltic through EU funding.
- Additional auto-mooring installations will be added for speedier calls, and subsequent lower fuel saving speeds at sea
- The Port is committed to supporting ship owners transitioning into biofuels, by carrying part of the price difference for fuels used in harbor. First vessel to implement in early 2020.
- Incentive programs for vessels with low emissions are being expanded on a continuous basis.
- In addition to building solar plants on the buildings under Port ownership, the Port is looking into facilitating other harbor users’ transition, eg. by joint/shared investments into panel infrastructure.
- As part of HNRY EU-funded project, the Port of Helsinki is future proofing its cargo harbors infrastructure to meet the coming needs of the port operators for their electric heavy machinery fleet charging.
- The port is working closely with the City to reduce downtown congestion.
By committing to this action plan, the Port of Helsinki will cut harbor area CO2 emissions by over 30 %, even though the port’s own emissions only constitute 5 % of total area emissions.