Port of Helsinki, Ship Wastewater Reception at Every Quay

The Port of Helsinki is a major passenger and cruise port on the Baltic Sea. Since 1 June 2021, a ban on discharging sewage into the Baltic Sea special area has been in force (Port of Helsinki, 2026a). The port encourages vessels to discharge their wastewater at shore rather than at sea (Port of Helsinki, 2026a). It does this by connecting every quay directly to the city sewer network and by using fees that reward ships for leaving their wastewater in port. This case covers wastewater from ships only; it does not describe treatment of industrial or tenant wastewater.

Approach

Direct sewer connection at every quay. Each of the port's quays allows ships to discharge wastewater directly into the city sewer network. From there the wastewater goes to the Helsinki Region Environmental Services Authority (HSY) for treatment (Port of Helsinki, 2026a; Port of Helsinki, 2026b).

Simple ship-side procedure. Grey and black water is pumped from the ship directly to the city sewage system. The port's ship service staff connect the hose at the agreed time. The ship uses its own pump and must be able to flush the hoses afterwards. The system capacity is about 80 to 100 cubic meters per hour (Port of Helsinki, n.d.).

No Special Fee and a discount. Baltic Sea ports use the No Special Fee system, in which the waste fee is charged whether or not a ship leaves waste in port. There is no separate charge for discharging wastewater. In 2016 the port added a 20 percent discount on the fee for solid and oily waste for ships, mainly international cruise ships, that discharge their wastewater at the port (Port of Helsinki, 2026a).

Pre-treatment to control odour. To reduce odours during treatment, passenger vessels pre-treat their wastewater before discharging it at the harbour. A wastewater pre-treatment facility has also been built at Vuosaari Harbour (Port of Helsinki, 2026a).

Results

The port reports that more than 91 percent of international cruise ships' wastewater is received at its quays (Port of Helsinki, 2026a). In 2025 the port received 255,000 cubic meters of wastewater from vessels, up from 215,000 cubic meters in 2024. It also received 1,300 tonnes of oily water from vessels in 2025 (Port of Helsinki, 2026b).