New business arrangements speed up development at the Port of Vaasa
Kvarken Ports is known as the joint venture that operates and develops the ports of Vaasa in Finland and Umeå in Sweden. At the beginning of 2025, the company faced a major change when it separated its business activities in the two ports and a new company structure was established in Finland.
Kvarken Ports Vaasa continues to run the port business in Vaasa, and along with it, Vaasan Satamainfra will be focusing on the infrastructure development. Both these new companies are subsidiaries of Vaasan Satama that aims to enhance regional vitality through the port.
“These changes make development and implementation of investments more efficient at the Vaasa port. And since our port business is now entirely based in Finland, the management is easier as well”, says Janne Pylkkönen, CEO of the Vaasan Satama Group.
Despite having separate businesses, Pylkkönen emphasises that the cooperation between the ports of Vaasa and Umeå continues. The shared brand name Kvarken Ports will also remain in use.
As a port located in the same region as Northern Europe’s largest energy technology cluster, the Port of Vaasa is a key driver of the energy transition.
“Developing the port helps attract new investments to the region. Together with the stevedoring company at the Vaasa port, we have invested heavily in, for example, advancing the growth of wind power in Ostrobothnia. As a result, we have been one of the leading ports for wind power for over 10 years already.”
At the end of 2024, the extension of the Port of Vaasa’s main cargo quay was completed. This has doubled its capacity for large project cargo vessels.
“We have several ongoing projects as well. For instance, we will be broadening the port’s fairway from 100 to 140 metres. Along with the main cargo quay extension, this will enable us to accommodate even larger and more climate-friendly vessels in the future. In addition, the dredging masses from the fairway will be used to expand the port’s land area by seven hectares”, Pylkkönen states.
Kvarken Ports Vaasa is also participating in ecosystem development projects to support the local energy cluster in particular.
“These projects include developing energy concepts, logistics connections, and digital solutions among other things. The goal is not only to accelerate the green transition, but also to enhance Finland’s security of supply.”
Ecosystem development projects
Kvarken Ports Vaasa takes part in ecosystem development projects that are funded by the Regional Council of Ostrobothnia (EU funding), the City of Vaasa, and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. The projects are carried out in cooperation with local businesses and Vaasa Region Development Company VASEK.
