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Shipping is a vital component of global trade. However, shipping activities have negative environmental impacts, including emissions to air and water. The Baltic Sea is severely affected by eutrophication, mainly due to nutrient inputs, especially nitrogen and phosphorus. Understanding the contributions of various nutrient sources is essential for informed environmental regulation. The aim of this research is to quantify the nutrient content of black and grey water discharged from cargo ships in the Baltic Sea in order to assess their contribution to the total nutrient load. Specifically, this research examines the nitrogen and phosphorus loadings from ships calling the port of HaminaKotka and addresses key questions regarding nutrient generation, discharge proportions, emission shares by ship type, and their importance compared to other sources. Using a methodology based on ship data and nutrient production estimates, this study found that 2545 cargo ships generated a total of 781 kg of nitrogen and 134 kg of phosphorus in their effluents during their voyages to the port in 2021. However, only a small fraction (0.5%) of the cargo ships discharged their wastewater at port reception facilities. This study concludes that nutrient discharges from cargo ships' wastewaters are relatively small, contributing less than 0.06% phosphorus and 0.01% nitrogen to the total load in the area. This result indicates that the impact of cargo ships' wastewater on the eutrophication of the Baltic Sea is smaller than previously thought. The methodology used in this study can be applied in other ports and regions to assess nutrient discharges from cargo ships' wastewaters on a wider scale. Further research is recommended to assess the effectiveness of on-board treatment systems, the impact of other contaminants in wastewater, and the development of port reception facilities to facilitate proper wastewater management in the maritime trade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine eutrophication is a pervasive and growing threat to global sustainability. Thereby, nutrient discharges to the marine environment should be reduced to a minimum. When fertilizers are loaded to the vessels in ports, a significant amount of nutrients are released into the sea, but so far these actions have received little attention. Here, we employed the Boosted Regression Trees modeling (BRT) to define the relationships between fertilizer loading, the loading area, rain intensity, nutrient discharge, and the marine environment, and then used the established relationships to predict the daily nutrient discharge due to fertilizer loading. The studied subject was a port in the Gulf of Finland, where significant amounts of both nitrogen and phosphorus are loaded to vessels. BRT models accounted for a significant proportion of the variability of nutrient discharge. As expected, the nutrient discharge increased with the number of fertilizers loaded and the intensity of rain. On the other hand, with the increasing loading area, the total nitrogen discharge increased, but the total phosphorus discharge decreased. The latter result may be due to the different characteristics of the loading areas of different terminals. The model predicted that at the studied port, the total nitrogen and phosphorus discharge to the marine environment due to fertilizer loading was 272,906 and 196 kg per year, respectively. Importantly, the developed model can be used to predict the nutrient loads for different future scenarios in order to propose the best mitigation methods for nutrient discharges to the sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The maritime sector aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Consequently, shipping companies are investigating efficient and optimal ways to minimize greenhouse gas emissions. One of these measures includes vessels that operate on alternative non-carbon fuels. In this study, we compared a diesel-fuelled catamaran's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and its fully electric sister vessel, which operates on the same line. This study showed that the GHG emissions of the electric vessel were only 25% of those of its diesel-powered sister vessel. However, this figure highly depends on the source of electricity in the operating country. In this case, the energy cost of the fully electric vessel was 31% cheaper than the cost of diesel energy and the payback time without possible subsidy for replacing a diesel ferry with an electric one would be 17 years and 6 months. We also showed that the additional energy from solar panels sufficiently covers several application options for consumers even in winter, when there is low solar energy production. This study brings more insight into the academic literature on decreasing maritime CO2 emissions from city water traffic. Regarding its managerial implications, our study findings can be used when shipping companies evaluate options for reducing their emissions. The results of this study show that using fully electric vessels has major benefits not only concerning carbon emissions but also financially. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global, regional and national policies and regulations are providing incentives to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in ports, and the first step in this effort is to obtain a detailed overview of the main sources of emissions. The rapid developments in port GHG mapping have led to the need for a case study to assess the effectiveness and practical use of these methodologies and to suggest best practices for ports just starting this mapping process. Here, we present the current state of the art in the assessment of GHG emissions in ports. This analysis enabled us to identify the most promising methodologies to assess GHG emissions in ports in an efficient, reliable and near real-time manner. We then tested the best methodologies and practices that emerged from the review articles to build a GHG assessment system in the Port of Tallinn. Finally, we assess the advantages and disadvantages of current approaches and suggest promising ways forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) and European Union (EU) have set targets to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Focusing on ships above 5000 GT, their measures exclude several ship types, such as fishing vessels, offshore ships, and yachts. However, smaller ships generate 15–20% of the total GHG emissions. Multiple potential fuel alternatives are already in use or have been investigated to minimize carbon emissions for coastal ferries. This study evaluates the possibility of using alternative fuels for small ferries by seven different parameters: technical readiness, presence of regulations, GHG emission reduction effectiveness (with two different criteria), capital expenditure (Capex), operating expenditure (Opex), and ice navigation ability. The assessment is based on an evaluation of state-of-the-art literature as well as second-hand statistics and press releases. The study also reports the most recent implementations in each alternative technology area. As a result, it was found that although there are several measures with high potential for the future, the most feasible fuel alternatives for coastal ferries would be fully electric or diesel-electric hybrid solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2020, the number of passengers on international ro-pax ferries collapsed due to the pandemic caused by the Covid-19 virus and subsequent travel restrictions. At the same time, both the International Maritime Organisation and the European Union are setting stringent regulations on carbon dioxide emissions from ships. In this research, we look at what options companies offering ro-pax services have to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic under-tightening environmental regulations and the future options for the industry. The case under study is ro-pax ferry traffic between Helsinki and Tallinn. It is one of the busiest international passenger ferry connections in the world. The economics of transport are based on large high-speed vessels, the combination of passengers and cargo, and sales onboard. We created four scenarios for the traffic: to continue the same high-speed ro-pax system as in 2019, to reduce the number of vessels, to switch to new types of ships, to slow down the speed of the vessels or to divide traffic into faster and slower ships. The research contributes to discussion of competitive strengths of ro-pax transport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2020, the number of passengers on international ro-pax ferries collapsed due to the pandemic caused by the Covid-19 virus and subsequent travel restrictions. At the same time, both the International Maritime Organisation and the European Union are setting stringent regulations on carbon dioxide emissions from ships. In this research, we look at what options companies offering ro-pax services have to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic under-tightening environmental regulations and the future options for the industry. The case under study is ro-pax ferry traffic between Helsinki and Tallinn. It is one of the busiest international passenger ferry connections in the world. The economics of transport are based on large high-speed vessels, the combination of passengers and cargo, and sales onboard. We created four scenarios for the traffic: to continue the same high-speed ro-pax system as in 2019, to reduce the number of vessels, to switch to new types of ships, to slow down the speed of the vessels or to divide traffic into faster and slower ships. The research contributes to discussion of competitive strengths of ro-pax transport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pilotage has been studied very little internationally and also in Finland. However, accidents in which pilots have been involved have been investigated thoroughly. Studies show that the traditional individual-centred pilotage with non-written passage plans no longer serves the needs of today's traffic and vessels that have increased in size. Pilotage should be based on the so-called good pilotage practices, i.e. pre-prepared, yet adaptable passage plans, more efficient bridge co-operation and modern navigation instruments. Yet, these are not an integral part of the prevailing pilotage practices in Finland. Pilotage should be developed so that the safety management systems of the vessels support the co-operation on the bridge, but on the other hand, so that the advantages of today's pilotage practices are maintained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maritime traffic in the Gulf of Finland has grown remarkably during the 2000s. This increase has an impact on die environment and exposes it to risks. These problems should be controlled to guarantee sustainable development and the welfare of inhabitants in die area. A method for estimating die impact of ship-originated air emissions on the environment is to calculate their environmental externalities which are a part of the total marginal social costs of shipping. The internalization of externalities as a control metiiod of transport would comply with the polluter pays principle and act as a fair traffic control metiiod between transport modes. In this paper, we present the results of C02, NOx, SOx and PM emissions originating from ships and tiieir externalities in die Gulf of Finland up to 2015. The calculation algorithm developed for this study produces emission estimates per annum and converts them into externalities. We focus on passenger, tanker, general cargo, Ro-Ro, container and bulk vessel ship types representing almost 90% of the total NOx emissions of shipping in the area. Scenario modelling is a method for estimating die effects of forthcoming or planned regulations and helps with targeting emission abatement actions to maximize tiieir profit. The results of the calculation algorithm show that externalities can be used as a consultative tool for transport-related decision-making. The costs are given at the price levels of the year 2000. The total external cost of ship-originated C02, NOx, SOx and PM emissions in the Gulf of Finland was almost €175 million in 2007. Due to increased traffic volumes, diese costs will increase to nearly €214 million in 2015. The majority of externalities are produced by C02 emissions. If we deduct C02 externalities from the results, we get total externalities of €57 million in 2007. Following eight years (2015), externalities would be 28% or €41 million lower. This would be as a result of regulation reducing the sulphur content of marine fuels. Regulating SOx and PM emissions will slow down the increasing trend of shipborne externalities in the Gulf of Finland; however, die externalities are still growing. In order to achieve a downward trend, die two major compounds resulting in externalities must be reduced, which requires strict actions to lower shipborne C02 and NOx emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article compares the accuracy of forecasted and actual supply chain cost and price factors in a Nordic paper mill's sales to customers in two large European countries. Empirical longitudinal research data covering the years between 2002 and 2008 were obtained from a large integrated Finnish paper mill, and consisted of sales volumes, paper prices, variable costs, and transport costs. It was expected that the mill would be able to forecast demand, prices and costs accurately, but the empirical findings showed that the forecasts for paper price, demand, and cost varied from one market to another and were not highly accurate. In addition, the forecasting of gross margins seemed to be very inexact. It is concluded that there is a need for more reliable forecasting methods in the paper industry to anticipate economic development as paper demand and costs change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to reveal how the prices, costs, and logistics develop in the case mill and how these variables correlate with profits, and finally to give suggestions for improvements. Design/methodology/approach - A typical Finnish paper mill is selected for the basis of the case study. The complete data for the mill for the years 2001 to 2007 at a monthly level are used. The data are obtained from the mill's financial management system and transferred to Excel. Statistica 4.1 software is used to run the statistical correlation analyses. The results can be generalized with certain limitations to paper manufacturing located at a long distance from its customers. Findings - This paper gives an important insight into the economics of the Finnish paper industry. From theory-building point of view, the empirical process data show that the variation in production lines is minimal, but there are important variations in paper deliveries. A lot can be gained in the logistics processes. Larger volumes delivered in tons also tend to increase profits. From the mill to the consignees, fluctuations in the process and paper sales grow substantially, which indicates longer storage times. Research limitations/implications - The results of the case study are based on the data of a single large integrated paper mill in Finland covering the years 2001-2007, so the results cannot be directly generalized to concern all Nordic paper mills. In May 2005, there was an industrial blackout, which considerably affected the production and deliveries of all Finnish paper mills in that year. Practical implications - The competitive advantages of the Finnish paper industry are undermined by low paper prices and costly logistics. The mill managers should increasingly focus on overcapacity and cost issues and also deliver volumes, which all could contribute to higher profits. Originality/value - In this paper, the Finnish paper industry is studied through a time series, economic geography, and statistical tools. This approach is a novel method and gives new insights into this research object. The mill's economic variables, such as paper prices, profits, and logistics and manufacturing costs, and the characteristics of these issues in a spatial context are studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to assess electronic information transfer in logistics organizations. The paper approaches information transfer as an elemental component of contemporary business to business (B2B) processes. Design/methodology/approach - The empirical material concerns companies that together comprise a logistical chain. The paper uses interview data to show information exchange patterns within one particular logistics chain. The interviews were designed according to current topics in information management literature and analyzed with content analysis. Findings - The results show the need to enhance information distribution in B2B operations. In addition, business to government operations rely, to a large extent, on a combination of paper and electronic information distribution. The government interface should also be recognized: customs and information exchange is a major time consumer in international transport. Research limitations/implications - The empirical analysis of a logistic chain is not an easy task. This is due to the confidential nature of the business information that has to be acquired. Companies do not want to reveal too many details regarding their B2B relations: the interviewed companies gave information on data exchange on a general level only. For example, the goal of determining information content was affected by the reluctance of companies to discuss their business processes. Originality/value - Three main components to a large extent determine the success of information and communication technologies implementation in the logistics business process. These are: reliability and interoperability that are achieved through standardization. This paper exemplifies these difficulties with empirical data from Finland. It also provides insight into how to carry out similar studies in different settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]