The Port of Kapellskär, along with the Port of Naantali, has received EU funding to minimize, among other things, air pollutant emissions from shipping.
The funding also increases the investments made by the Stockholm Ports to meet customer service requirements and potential needs.
The EU agreed to finance eight Swedish infrastructure projects with grants from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Fund this summer. Two of the projects are the Stockholm Ports initiatives to support a stronger Stockholm area.
One of the agreements has now been signed with the intention of improving relations between the Port of Kapellskär (Sweden) and the Port of Naantali (Finland) to minimize, among other things, emissions of air pollutants in port areas.
“We are very happy that the agreement with the EU has now been signed. The development of Port of Kapellskär is strategically significant for sustainable shipping. More goods arriving by sea, using routes such as Naantali to Kapellskär, ensures long-term sustainable development and growth of the entire Stockholm region. Further development of Port of Kapellskär is therefore something we welcome and prioritize highly.”
Bino Drummond (M), deputy chairman of Port of Kapellskär.
The port of Kapellskär is part of one of the most important maritime transport and freight links in Europe and has been named a comprehensive port within the EU Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T).
The EU grant is part of the EU priority program on Motorways of the Sea.
“Increasing traffic volumes at Port of Kapellskär, in combination with the environmental challenges faced by society mean that the benefits of the joint EU project with Port of Naantali will be both effective and sustainable. I believe that the capabilities to provide onshore power to the vessels, an automatic mooring system, and a new passenger tower are excellent competitive solutions for the future.”
Peter Lundman, technical operations manager at Port of Kapellskär.
The project would include investment in onshore power supply facilities for vessels at the quayside. Connecting to onshore power greatly decreases the environmental effect of vessels in port, as vessels will shut down their engines and instead use local power grid electricity.
The project to provide onshore power has also obtained support from the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency.
An auto mooring capability will be built to satisfy consumer demand for services and future needs. This will make the quayside operations safer, more effective and more successful, as the loading and unloading times will be shortened.
A new passenger tower will also be designed to make it easier for foot travelers to embark and disembark.
The project will commence in October / November 2020 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2023.
