Helsinki West Terminal 2

The new quays are located adjacent to the terminal. One of the new quays features an automatic ship mooring system as well as a dual ramp solution, thanks to which vehicles can be driven in and out of a ship on two levels simultaneously. Together, these two systems will significantly shorten ship turnaround times.

The West Terminal 2 project, which includes the construction of the new terminal building and its quays, passenger bridges and corridors, field areas and roads, as well as the improvement of the fairway, has been the largest investment of the decade for the Port of Helsinki.

“West Terminal 2 is our way of meeting the needs of growing Helsinki–Tallinn traffic for the upcoming decades. The increased capacity and improved travel comfort provide the preconditions for continued growth. The flexibility of port operations in the centre of the city are of great importance to Helsinki and it’s strongly growing tourism sector,” states Kimmo Mäki, CEO of the Port of Helsinki.

Sea traffic has been constantly growing in popularity since 2008, and the growth is strongly focused on the Helsinki–Tallinn route. This growth is not the result of increased tourism alone, as frequent ship connections also make it possible for Helsinki and Tallinn to operate as twin cities, mobilising the workforce, promoting social integration and facilitating the formation of a common economic area. The route is also crucial for Finland’s foreign trade, offering an efficient and sustainable transport route for both passengers and cargo.

“Here at Eckerö Line, we want to provide our customers a breakaway from everyday routines, whether it’s just for a few hours or for several days. The new West Terminal makes ship travel even more convenient and pleasant for both holiday and business travellers,” said Taru Keronen, Managing Director of Eckerö Line.

The construction of the terminal was spurred on when Tallink Silja’s new ship Megastar was completed at Turku shipyard, as a result of which the new terminal was completed one month ahead of schedule. This spring West Terminal 2 will be used by Tallink Silja’s Megastar and Star, in addition to which Eckerö Line’s MS Finlandia will start using the terminal in early summer.

The budget for the new terminal was EUR 45 million, while the project’s total budget was EUR 90 million. The actual cost ended up being 5% under budget.

The development of West Harbour is partly funded by the EU, with the Port of Helsinki receiving funding from the TEN-T and Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) funding programmes for the Twin Port 1 (20%) and Twin Port 2 (30%) projects. Lead Contractor for West Terminal 2 is Rakennus Oy.

By Jake Frith