Should Finland renew the amount and allocation of its fairway dues?

Finland's fairway dues are the highest in the Baltic Sea region. Furthermore, the allocation of fees is unfair: some ships arriving in our country pay very high fairway dues, while others manage with significantly lower fees regardless of the use of fairway maintenance services. Our neighboring country, Sweden, switched to an environmentally-based fairway dues decades … Continue reading Should Finland renew the amount and allocation of its fairway dues? →

How did the Finnish maritime transport volumes look like in 2024?

The Finnish economy is highly dependent on world trade. Due to its geographical location, maritime transport is our most significant form of transport – especially now that trade with Russia has decreased significantly. In 2024, our foreign trade was worth 230 billion euros, of which almost exactly half was imports and half was exports. Of … Continue reading How did the Finnish maritime transport volumes look like in 2024? →

How do shipping companies make a profitable business?

The most important decision for shipping companies right now is what the fuel they will be using will cost in five years. My phone has been ringing lately as the transport sector ponders how shipping operations will change in the future due to tightening environmental regulations. But first, let’s get back to the basics: how … Continue reading How do shipping companies make a profitable business? →

The exciting world of maritime economics

It would be easy to think that this exciting time in shipping companies is far behind. That big profits or losses can no longer be made in shipping business. But on the contrary, the shipping industry is still an industry that shows big profits and losses; and where business courage and foresight are rewarded. When … Continue reading The exciting world of maritime economics →

Port efficiency

Steveco's sales director Ville Kuitunen pointed out on LinkedIn last week that none of the ports owned by Finnish municipalities load or urload ships in the night shift. When I read academic studies on port efficiency, almost all the studies are about container ports, and usually the speed of container handling. This is a narrow … Continue reading Port efficiency →

The shadow fleet carries Russian oil

Background Russia started a war against Ukraine in February 2022. Russia largely finances its war by selling fossil fuels abroad, especially crude oil. The G7 countries want make to Russia's military actions difficult, but at the same time they fear that oil sale restrictions will significantly increase the price of oil and thus hinder the … Continue reading The shadow fleet carries Russian oil →

Regulations towards shipping decarbonisation

The only way that shipping companies can be competitive in the future shipping market is to prepare their operations and their fleet towards the green transition. The regulations for the vessels, new fuels, emission trading and demands of customers and financiers require deep understanding of technical and operational alternatives. In 2023, the International Maritime Organization … Continue reading Regulations towards shipping decarbonisation →

Unravelling the complexities of Life Cycle Assessment at MEPC 82

The global maritime transportation is undergoing a tremendous change – decarbonisation. As global pressure to address climate change intensifies, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) continues to advance its ambitious goals for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through its GHG Strategy. This commitment is taken centre stage at the 82nd meeting of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 82), being … Continue reading Unravelling the complexities of Life Cycle Assessment at MEPC 82 →