Transports in the port of Naantali in 2021
Report of transports
TRANSPORTS IN THE PORT OF NAANTALI IN 2021 – Total transports 5.04 million tonnes
A total of around 5.04 million tonnes of cargo was transported through the Port of Naantali’s quays and/or fairways and water areas maintained by it (incl. transports to and from the Naantali oil refinery) in 2021. Total transports in the port area (loaded + unloaded) was down by nearly 38% on the previous year. The big fall in the total transport volume resulted from the shutdown of production and closing of the Neste Naantali oil refinery. After the closing of the refinery operations, terminal and port operations remain in the area.
Of total transports in 2021, the share of the Naantali inner harbour Kantasatama and Luonnonmaa port site of the total transports was nearly 65%, or a total of around 3.27 million tonnes, of which the share of international transports was 93% (incl. transit shipments of grain from Russia via Naantali). Transports through the inner harbour in 2021 totalled over 3.08 million tonnes (+2%) and through Luonnonmaa around 186,000 tonnes (+50%). The cargo volume transported through the said areas of the port was around 4%, or some 137,300 tonnes more compared to the previous year.
Transports through the Neste oil refinery and oil harbour accounted for around 35% of the total transport volume in the Naantali port area and stood at around 1.77 million tonnes, which in turn was down by more than 64%, or 3.17 million tonnes, on the previous year due to the closing of the production. International transports accounted for around 40% of the transports of the oil refinery and domestic for 60%.
The share of international transports of the total transport volume in the Naantali port area, including transports to and from the oil refinery, was nearly 75%, or around 3.76 million tonnes (incl. transit shipments) and the share of domestic transports (including ro-ro traffic between Naantali and Långnäs, Åland islands, and coastal traffic mainly related to distribution of fuel) was 25%, or over 1.83 million tonnes.
Of the total transport volume, export shipments accounted for around 1.61 million tonnes (-20%) and imports for nearly 2.15 million tonnes (-47%). Incoming domestic transports totalled around 0.81 million tonnes (-4%) in the Naantali port area, and outgoing domestic shipments totalled around 0.47 million tonnes (-61%).
Vessel calls totalled 1,472
The number of vessel calls in the Port of Naantali totalled 1,472 in 2021, which was down by 9% and 142 vessel calls less compared to 2020. Vessel calls included a total of 1,534 individual berthings. The total net tonnage of the vessels was nearly 11.1 million NT (-10%), while having stood at around 12.3 million NT a year before. The number of vessel calls decreased due to the closing of the production at the Neste Naantali oil refinery.
The number of vessel calls in Kantasatama and Luonnonmaa port site totalled 1,285, which was 13 vessel calls less (-1%) compared to 2020. Vessel calls in Kantasatama numbered 1,191, or 35 fewer vessel calls (-3%) and in Luonnonmaa 116, or 40 more vessel calls (+53%) compared to 2020. The total net tonnage of the vessels that carried cargo through Kantasatama and Luonnonmaa was 10.2 million NT, or down by nearly 1.05 million NT (-1%) on the previous year.
The number of vessel calls in the oil harbour was 190, which was 126 vessel calls less (-40%) compared to a year before. The total net tonnage of the vessels that called in the oil harbour stood at around 0.87 million NT (-55%) and was nearly 1.05 million NT lower compared to 2020.
Significant growth in truck and trailer transports and passenger traffic
A total of 160,106 units of trucks, trailers and different other heavy vehicle combinations were transported by ferry through the Port of Naantali in 2021, up by around 8%, or 11,577 units, on the previous year. Empty units numbered 7,254 and accounted for around 4.5% of all units. The number of empty units decreased by 8% compared to the previous year.
Different vehicles arriving in or departing from the Port of Naantali on Roro and Ropax vessels carried around 2.31 million tonnes of cargo, up by nearly 0.26 million tonnes (+12%) on the previous year. Of the above cargo volume, tank transports of dangerous goods accounted for nearly 165,087 tonnes, up by almost 7% on the previous year.
A total of 178,741 people (+22%) travelled on Ropax vessels via the Port of Naantali, of which 45,538 (+96%) were leisure passengers.
Unitised cargo accounted for nearly 46% of the total transports and cargo volume (tonnes) carried through the Port of Naantali in 2021.
Dry and liquid bulk cargo decreased
The volume of dry bulk cargo transported via the Port of Naantali in 2021 totalled nearly 0.85 million tonnes, down by around 0.12 million tonnes (-13%), on the previous year. Bulk products involve strong fluctuation by year and season – both up and down. Dry bulk cargo accounted for around 17% of the total transports and cargo volume (tonnes) carried through the Port of Naantali in 2021.
In 2021, transports of different material fractions related to energy production (coal, wood chips, peat, wood etc.) accounted for nearly 27% of all dry bulk cargo carried through the Port. The share of grain transports was slightly over 25% and that of various other agribulk, such as fertilisers, animal feeds etc. was around 6%. Raw minerals for the industry, such as cement, salt, sodium silicate etc. accounted for over 22%, the crushed stone, gravel etc. needed in civil engineering for nearly 8%, and recycled materials, such as crushed glass, plastic etc. for nearly 12%.
Wood chips have increasingly replaced coal in the raw material shipments needed for heat production in TSE’s multi-fuel power plant located next to the port. In 2021, coal imports stood at only 14,100 tonnes, down by over 105,000 tonnes, or around -87% on the previous year. On the other hand, imports of wood chips, to replace coal, totalled over 193,000 tonnes, nevertheless down by around 7% on the previous year.
Grain transports totalled nearly 216,000 tonnes in 2021. Due to the poor crops, the volume of grain shipments through the port decreased by around 25%, or nearly 74,000 tonnes compared to the previous year. The fall would have been even steeper, but transit shipments of grain (wheat) of over 66,000 tonnes from Russia increased the volume of grain carried through the port.
Regarding dry bulk cargo, the volume of recycled materials, and recycled glass in particular, has increased in recent years. Transports of recycled materials through the port totalled nearly 110,000 tonnes in 2021, up by 34% on the previous year.
The imports of cement through the Port of Naantali have also increased, and as a result of the ongoing investments will continued to do so. In 2021, cement transports through the port totalled nearly 139,000 tonnes, up by 3% on the previous year.
A total of nearly 1.89 million tonnes of liquid bulk cargo was transported through the Port of Naantali’s quays and/or fairways and water areas maintained by it in 2021, which was however down by as much as 68% on the previous year. The fall resulted from the shutdown and closing of the Neste Naantali oil refinery. Neste’s shipments via Naantali decreased by a total of over 3.17 million tonnes.
Liquid bulk cargo accounted for around 37% of the total transports and cargo volume (tonnes) carried through the Port of Naantali in 2021.
Yrjö Vainiala
Port Director, COO