Ship Technology

Ports of Helsinki and Tallinn reveal green corridor partnership

The Finnish and Estonian ports will work with companies and government bodies on a range of projects to improve the sustainability of their operations and those of their customers.

The ports of Helsinki and Tallinn have led an agreement to create a new green corridor between Finland and Estonia across the Gulf of Finland as they seek to lower the emissions of the two million vehicles that cross the water every year.

Bringing together the ports, companies such as Rederi AB Eckerö, Tallink Grupp and Viking Line, Estonia’s Ministry of Climate and Finland’s Ministry of Transport and Communications, the agreement is the latest to use the idea of a green corridor as a way of highlighting climate change efforts.

Port of Tallinn CEO Valdo Kalm said: “It is important that the connection between Helsinki and Tallinn is, environmentally, even more sustainable in the future. More than the mandatory steps need to be taken to ensure that.

“It is vital that all major players participate in this activity, so this is a day of great importance and a turning point for working together with all partners in favour of climate and nature.”

While the Port of Tallinn and the Port of Helsinki have both set a goal of achieving climate/carbon neutrality by 2050, the green corridor partners are hoping that the agreement will allow the ports to reach their targets ahead of schedule.

Alongside the Helsinki-Tallinn route, the corridor will also cover the Muuga-Vuosaari connection, with joint roadmaps for shipping companies, cities and ports consisting of specific milestones to achieve on the road to net zero.

Two men present to a conference in front of a screen showing a graphic portraying the green journey available for users of the Tallinn to Helsinki green corridor — The green corridor is hoped to encourage sustainable choices across the maritime supply chain. Credit: Port of Tallinn.

During the conference to reveal the corridor, the ports showed a number of areas they would be focusing on in the move towards carbon neutrality, including the use of onshore power supplies, a climate-neutral terminal and auto-mooring.

Port of Helsinki CEO Ville Haapasaari said: “We look forward to the cooperation this project offers between all parties. I’m convinced that we can find smart and better solutions for tackling the climate change in this area of ours and to ensure the future growth and welfare of two countries.”

The Finland-Estonia corridor becomes the latest in a growing number of green corridor partnerships, including the first major trans-Pacific corridor between Los Angeles, Long Beach and Shanghai.