Port Hampuusi 2023 with eight million tonnes of cargo
35 years have passed since Mika Saarinen started work in the Port of Turku. He calculates that during his career that began in a summer job at Bore Line he has participated in arranging the transports of more than eight million tonnes of cargo in the Baltic Sea and the North Sea.
The early days of his career were sparked up by studies of foreign trade as well as shipping and harbour business in the Turku School of Economics, and Mika went directly from the university to start the Finnish operations of shipping company Mann Lines in 1992. Ten years at the helm of the shipping company passed quickly before transferring to Saimaa Lines where he managed mostly eastbound transit traffic. That was followed by a brief step out of the port environment to packet logistics as the Managing Director of GLS Finland where the monitoring of the entire transport chain through comprehensive IT solutions in particular was a useful period in his career.
Long career brought him back to the familiar desk
”For the past fifteen years I have been working at Baltic Line, as the Director for Sales and Business Development. The Norwegian-owned shipping company operates a route from Turku via Baltic States to Denmark and Norway, and in the North Sea between Norway, the Netherlands and Great Britain. In the Finnish unit we are responsible for the sales and planning of transports in both the Baltic Sea and the North Sea”, Mika Saarinen says. He mentions a fun detail that he is now working in the same room and at the same desk as he was 35 years ago in his first job. “So my career hasn’t moved an inch”, Mr Saarinen says and chuckles.
Location was emphasised in choosing the home port
Baltic Line operates cargo transports with three multi-purpose cargo vessels, all of which sail under the Finnish flag. Baltic Amelie, Baltic Madonna and Odda Marie mainly carry products of the heavy industry, such as steel, metals and products of mechanical forest industry as well as project shipments. Departures from Turku take place weekly on Thursdays, and also weekly from Sandnes, Norway in the direction of Finland.
”Turku was chosen as our home port, because we try everywhere to be present in ports located close to our customers. Turku is a port for the whole of Finland where it is easy to bring in and pick up cargo. The smooth flow and length of land transports play a key role regarding the carbon footprint of the entire transport chain which has become an increasingly important competitive advantage in the whole industry. Environmental sustainability is already given equal weight alongside the transport time and costs when the customers make decisions on routing”, Mika Saarinen confirms.
Goal is to reduce the carbon footprint of transports
Environmental issues are also important to Baltic Line and sustainability is visible in many ways. For example, at the beginning of the year the shipping company’s largest vessel Odda Marie was equipped with Econowind sails which help to reduce the CO2 emissions through lower consumption of fuel. The vessel also has electrically powered forklifts and readiness to use shore-side electricity which allows for emission-free port operations in the ports where shore-side electricity is available.
”The new engine and fuel innovations point the way towards emission-free and carbon neutral seafaring, but we can do a lot to promote cleaner maritime traffic while waiting for the commercialisation of those solutions. For example, the allocation of capacity in close co-operation with the customers is one of the key measures, as the volume of CO2 emissions and the carbon footprint of shipments is significantly affected by the fill rate of the vessels. The emissions per transported cargo unit decrease as the fill rate becomes higher”, Mika Saarinen reminds.
New title reminds about the importance of continuous development
Elected the Port Hampuusi (old-fashioned Finnish term for dockworker) of 2023, Mika Saarinen appreciates the Port of Turku as a dynamic and development-oriented operating environment. The services of the operative department of the port enterprise, expert stevedoring providers and diverse terminal facilities create a firm foundation for running and development of shipping services.
”Co-operation and contacts with all players is active, and the team spirit in the port is excellent. Only by working together we can make the port of Turku even more competitive for all companies in the industry”, Mika Saarinen, Director for Sales and Business Development at Baltic Line, assures and thanks for the title of Port Hampuusi awarded to him.
Text: Kari Ahonen
Photos: Markku Koivumäki, Antti Pekanheimo
