The last quay project of HaminaKotka harbour, D-area, has been completed for the time being. The extensive project, which started in 2017, saw the building of a new harbour basin, a breakwater, four berths, an area of warehouses in the background area, additional tracks, and more. The last missing piece of the project, the 330-metre quay section at the southern end, was completed at the end of October 2023.

Before 2017, the extension of the area to meet the field needs of the container terminal was considered, but the plans changed, and the area became the largest pulp terminal in the Baltic Sea region. Last year, Steveco built a new terminal hall in the area, measuring 24,000 square metres, next to the pulp terminal completed in 2019. With the now completed D-area extension, Mussalo has become a nationally significant centre for forest industry products.

“The area is designed for multifaceted use. Currently, the area serves as a Steveco pulp terminal, but with the future in mind, the area can be changed according to use and need. After all, the project is specifically an investment in future operations,” says Jari Kontunen, project director of the HaminaKotka Mussalo D-area project.

Kontunen joined the project as soon as it started in 2017. “The project has had many phases. Challenges can also be included when things have been implemented as a sea-fill, and civil engineering has depended on the conditions of different seasons.”

Massive earth transfers

The project covered a total area of about 50 hectares, so the volumes processed were large. During the project, as many as 1.6 million cubic metres of soil and aggregate were moved and processed. The western part of Mussalo is in a difficult location in terms of conditions, so most of the underwater aggregate – a total of about 280,000 cubic metres – was used to build a massive 620-metre breakwater. In addition, the dredging masses of the harbour basin have also been used to fill the filling area of the Mussalo Palaslahti industrial area.

“The most difficult time in the construction phase of the area was the building of the breakwater. Of course, dredging activities cannot be carried out in winter – all the work in hydraulic engineering must be done between March and December,” Kontunen notes. “Although the place is a major challenge in terms of conditions, the area now looks pretty much like the illustrative drawing from 2017.”

A EUR 100 million investment in the future

Although the construction work was hectic, it was possible to operate within the port area and in the nearby industrial area throughout the project. “No accidents occurred during the project with Steveco’s port operations, even though the pace was very fast at times. Collaboration with Steveco was very good; we regularly shared information about activities,” says Kontunen.

The project’s construction projects and equipment investments are a significant investment entity. A total of almost EUR 100 million has been invested in the area by the Port of HaminaKotka Ltd, the City of Kotka, Kymen Vesi, Kymenlaakson Sähkö Oy and Steveco, as well as a few other parties. Water and quay construction in the D-area of Mussalo, as well as the railway connections and noise barrier in the background area, have been partly co-financed with EU funding: the Connecting Europe Facility’s (CEF Digital) share of the funding of the aforementioned parts of the project is just over EUR 10 million.

Mussalo D-area

• The area totals about 50 hectares, of which the harbour basin, quays and breakwater total about 20 hectares
• Construction period 2017–2023
• The depth of the harbour basin is 17.5 m, and the entrance to Mussalo is 15.3 m deep
• Total piers 700 m
• Arrival, unloading and loading tracks for rail wagons 2.5 km
• Warehouses now 44,000 m2, total possible capacity approx. 70,000 m2
• New rail and vehicle connections
• LNG fuelling directly from the fueller to the ship (ATEX areas of piers)
• Freshwater points on piers every 100 metres
• Route reservations for future shoreside electricity

Text: Helka Herlevi, photo HaminaKotka Satama Oy