Experts gathered in Rauma for the Sustainable Flow seminar on Baltic Sea Day
The Sustainable Flow project’s stakeholder seminar was held on Baltic Sea Day, August 28, at Finland’s largest marina in Rauma. The date was chosen for deliberately: Baltic Sea Day aims to raise awareness of the sea’s diverse nature, culture, and history, and the well-being of the Baltic Sea is also at the core of the Sustainable Flow project.
The event brought together a wide range of stakeholders, both on-site and online. Project Manager Mika Lindfors opened the day by welcoming the participants and introducing the project’s objectives and progress. Sustainable Flow has set an ambitious target: to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in seven pilot ports around the Central Baltic Sea by ten percent by 2026.
Concrete measures to reduce emissions in ports
The first speaker, Development Manager Kai Heinonen from the Port of Pori, presented the emission reduction measures already implemented and those planned for the future. Heinonen emphasized that while port operations have become significantly more efficient over the past decades, efficiency should never come at the expense of emissions. The Port of Pori conducts continuous environmental monitoring, including monitoring of noise, stormwater, and air quality. The port has also taken significant steps towards reducing CO₂ emissions through circular economy solutions and the upcoming installation of solar panels.
The Port of Rauma’s Safety Manager, Juhani Laiho, introduced measures taken at Finland’s third-largest general port. Rauma has invested heavily in safety, while environmental impacts are monitored with the Ensio software for environmental impact and energy flow management. In May 2024, the port commissioned an onshore power supply (OPS), allowing cranes to operate fully on electricity while at the quay. In the future, OPS will also be extended to the container quay.
The ports of Pori and Rauma are both pilot ports in the Sustainable Flow project, making their contribution to the day particularly relevant and insightful.
Digital tools to drivin the green transition
As 96% of Finland’s foreign trade is transported by sea, the green transition must also extend to maritime logistics. A key instrument in the Sustainable Flow project is a digital tool currently under development, designed to support emission reduction efforts in ports. Researcher Piia Lukkaroinen presented the first version of the tool (MVP), which is already in test use. After the seminar, port of Rauma continued on to the useability testing of the digital tool. Port of Pori had already undergone testing of the tool on the previous day.
Next, Researcher Meri-Maaria Salo presented the project’s decision-making and guidance tools. The decision-making tool will be a part of the digital tool – allowing the user to examine different scenarios regarding CO2 reduction technologies and their impact on emissions. The guidance tool, to be implemented on the project’s website, will provide ports with insights and recommendations regarding energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions aiming to help ports make more informed decisions.
Lastly, before lunch, Researcher Mikko Vettenranta gave a presentation on solar panel investments carried out within the project in the ports of Mariehamn, Rauma and Pori. In the port of Mariehamn, panels were installed on the roof of the walkway and on the wall with the latter intending to test how well the panels can utilize the reflection of the water. In the port of Rauma, panels were installed on the roof of the main building while in the port of Pori, solar trackers will be installed. With different types of solutions, more insights can be gained on the installations’ efficiency.
Panel discussion: challenges of the green transition
After lunch, Mika Lindfors hosted a panel discussion focusing on the day’s core themes. The panel included Kai Heinonen (Port of Pori), Juhani Laiho (Port of Rauma), and Jussi Poikonen (Vice President of AI & Analytics, Awake.AI).
The discussion addressed several key questions: What are the primary bottlenecks to the green transition in maritime logistics? Has customer demand for greener solutions increased? Can technology and digital tools alone solve the emissions challenge? How can we ensure that new technologies, such as AI, support climate goals rather than adding to the emission burden? Is the transition possible without financial incentives? Could heavy machinery be converted into greener alternatives, such as hybrids?
The dialogue was lively, and the panel concluded with a quick-fire “yes/no” round using answer cards. As a concise summary, Rauma Port’s Safety Manager Juhani Laiho stated:
– Digital tools alone cannot solve the emission problem, but they make it possible.
The seminar provided a comprehensive look at ports’ emission reduction actions and the challenges of the green transition. A warm thank you to all speakers and participants for an engaging and inspiring day!
Presentations (in Finnish)
- Sustainable Flow project, Mika Lindfors, project manager, SAMK
- Port of Pori, Kai Heinonen, development manager, Port of Pori
- Port of Rauma, Juhani Laiho, safety manager, Port of Rauma
- Digital tool, Piia Lukkaroinen, researcher, SAMK
- Decision-making tool and guidance tool, Meri-Maaria Salo, researcher, SAMK
- Solar panels in pilot ports, Mikko Vettenranta, researcher, SAMK
