Port of Helsinki signs €28m deal for West Harbour expansion

The Port of Helsinki has signed a contract worth approximately €28 million with contractor YIT Infra for the construction of an expansion at the southern end of its West Harbour. The project is scheduled to start in July 2025 and be completed by the end of 2027.

The expansion will provide additional capacity for the growing traffic between Helsinki and Tallinn and is the first step in a larger renovation project for the West Harbour. The scope includes dredging and the construction of 330 metres of new quay structure, which will create 12,000 square metres of new loading space and over a kilometre of lane space for vehicles.

Ari Parviainen, the port's Project Director, stated that dredging will start in August, with rock filling to begin at the turn of August and September. The project will involve dredging around 120,000 cubic metres of soil and using about 250,000 cubic metres of quarry for construction.

Kaj Takolander, the port's VP of Passenger Services, said the new area will allow for "modern solutions" like automated traffic control and that the port is preparing for the future needs of electric ship traffic. The overall West Harbour renovation aims to concentrate all Helsinki-Tallinn traffic in one place by 2032.