Environmental policy of Port of HaminaKotka Ltd

GREEN PAPER 2012   

Port of HaminaKotka Ltd wishes to serve as a trailblazer in environmental efforts by seaports. The key elements here are the continuous improvement of port operations in accordance with the principles of sustainable development, and co-operation with stakeholders.

Environmental efforts by Port of HaminaKotka Ltd are driven by official requirements, such as the environmental permits for port operations, and voluntary commitments. Examples of the latter comprise the port’s certified operating system which is based on the environmental and quality management system standards ISO 14001 and ISO 9001 respectively. Port of HaminaKotka Ltd has separate environmental permits for the port areas in Hamina and Kotka. The environmental permits require continuous monitoring of the environment, including consumption, emissions and impact monitoring. The environmental impact assessment (EIA) procedures for the port areas Mussalo, Hietanen and Hamina serve as the basis of future expansion projects. The purpose of the EIA procedure is to ensure that the significant environmental impacts caused by projects are ascertained with sufficient accuracy. Expansion projects require separate permit processes.

Significant environmental aspects of the operations of Port of HaminaKotka Ltd include the safety of the transport of chemicals, a reduction in emissions from vessels into the water and air, optimising the lighting and energy use in port areas, and fluency and safety of transport related to port operations. At the same time, solutions which reduce the emissions of work machinery are also sought. The goal is to reduce emissions from vessels by means of timely service for vessels and by using a system that prevents ice formation in the harbour basins.

Port of HaminaKotka Ltd carries responsibility for the protection of the Baltic Sea by measures such as preventing environmental accidents and by making preparations for emergencies, by treating rain and melting waters at the Chemical Harbour, and by receiving waste water from vessels. Sanitary waste water from port areas can be led to the municipal waste water network. The port participates in the OXY project, within which businesses and public sector organisations are improving the quality of sea water on the Finnish coast.

The Ecoport project aims to pay attention to the environment in all operations of the port. This is based on the life cycle approach, which means that all stages from design and construction all the way to commissioning and decommissioning are taken into account in the operations. The goal is to arrange the port’s own operations so that other stakeholders, too, can work in a sustainable manner. Ecoport provides an opportunity to utilise the experiences and knowhow possessed by the port of its own development projects, and in this way to manage growth based on the relevant needs by means of swift response:

-    preparation and planning, anticipation through EIA procedures, permits, reports of long-term needs
-    implementation and continuous improvement, use of recycled materials, compensation, etc.
-    stakeholder relations and multiple expertise
-    case-specific innovative solutions; modifiability of areas and structures, reuse
-    promotion of technical infrastructure development projects
-    efficient use of energy, minimised emissions, prevention, safety aspects
-    contributing to port-related projects: road, rail and wind turbine projects, etc.

Good co-operation between the various stakeholders is necessary in the constant improvement of the port operations. Social values must be taken into account as part of the activities and projects of the port. The goal is to attain good results effectively, economically, and in the planned schedule.