Port of Helsinki has commenced the environmental impact assessment procedure for the expansion of Vuosaari Harbour, initiating the process that will evaluate the environmental and social impacts of various expansion options prior to later decision-making and licensing stages.
Preliminary negotiations between authorities are scheduled to begin on September 1, 2026, with the EIA programme expected to be made available for public consultation in early 2027 and the full EIA report targeted for public inspection in autumn 2027.
The assessment examines two preliminary expansion options alongside the option of not proceeding with the project.
Under the expansion scenarios, the port area would be gradually extended into the sea by approximately 25 to 30 hectares, incorporating new quays and yard areas, the filling in of the Ruusuniemi canal to create space for port traffic and either the construction of a new fairway or the improvement of the existing shipyard fairway including its turning basin.
The need for and location of a possible breakwater is also under investigation. All plans remain preliminary and will be refined as assessment and technical design work progresses.
The EIA will assess impacts on water quality, currents, sediments, underwater nature, fish populations, birdlife and nearby nature reserves and Natura areas, as well as traffic, noise, air quality, climate, landscape, recreational use, boating and community living conditions.
Given the project’s proximity to the marine areas surrounding Uutela, Pikku Niinisaari and the local marina, particular attention will be paid to marine nature and nearby protected areas. Construction phase and operational phase impacts will be assessed separately.
The expansion is intended to safeguard the cost-effective and uninterrupted flow of Finnish foreign trade into the future.
