Warstila in cooperation with the City of Helsinki’s Maritime Strategy Project aims to present a smart, energy efficient, waterborne and carbon-neutral passenger transportation system. A system that Ulla Tapaninen, Head of Unit, Enterprise Services at City of Helsinki, hopes will better connect the mainland with the islands, allowing for residents and tourists alike to better utilize and enjoy the true beauty that the region has to offer.
Helsinki recently became a member of the SEA20, an international network of the world’s foremost Smart and Ecologically-Ambitious marine cities, dedicated to the radical transformation of the marine and energy industries into one supremely efficient, ecologically sound, digitally connected and collaborative ecosystem.
On April 17, Wartsila and the city of Helsinki co-hosted an event to bring together important stakeholders to present a waterborne and carbon-neutral passenger transportation system.
Yet, Warstila states that some questions need to be firstly answered in order to proceed with the project.
How do we guarantee protection of the archipelago’s biodiversity?
How can the city produce the energy required to meet commuter needs in a sustainable and environmentally-friendly way?
Connecting smart vessels to smart ports is one thing, but the city also needs to create the right infrastructure to support a clean energy supply chain.
Moreover, the company sees an ecosystem that has oceangoing vessels through a carbon-neutral grid, by supplying electricity for shore power with charging facilities suitable for electric and hybrid vessels.
The ambition levels are high, but collectively, city stakeholders have the skills to achieve this.
