Steel is transported together

Erik Söderholm, Managing Director of the Port of Turku, tells that steel is transported via the port of Turku on liner services, ships that carry only steel, and also in trailers and trucks onboard passenger ferries destined to Sweden.
“At the annual level, we are talking about hundreds of thousands of tonnes. The figures have gone up, but there is still plenty of capacity available”, he says.

He adds that the port of Turku is profiled for steel logistics, goods shipments, project shipments, and demanding special shipments; bulk items are not much transported via Turku.

Customer-oriented operations

Mr Söderholm points out that in addition to capacity, the port of Turku’s strengths in steel logistics include, for instance, good road and rail connections, and short turnaround times.
“There is always a berth available in Turku. And when the new joint terminal for passenger traffic will be completed within a couple of years, transports to and from Sweden will flow even more flexibly.”

He stresses that it is essential for steel logistics that the shipping companies provide a diverse supply of routes.
“We are continuously engaged in close co-operation with the shipping companies and port operators. Together we ponder how we could develop our services further. Our goal is highly customer-oriented operations.”

Mr Söderholm points out that everybody knows each other in the port of Turku. That of course helps and speeds up taking care of various day-to-day matters.”

Port is involved in the green transition

Mr Söderholm says that the steel transport customers demand low-emission or completely emission-free transports. According to him, the port of Turku is closely involved in the green transition.
“A charging area for electric trucks will be completed in the port by the end of the year. At present, electrically-powered trucks could already handle short-distance steel transports. In the future, when the technology evolves, electric trucks will certainly be used for longer distances as well.”

The port of Turku already provides an opportunity to fill up vehicles with bio-diesel. It is produced using, among other things, waste and waste water collected from ships.

Text: Matti Välimäki
Photos: Jarmo Piironen ja Markku Koivumäki