Port of Tallinn posts operational volumes for 2023 full year
In 2023, 8 million passengers and 13 million tonnes of cargo passed through the harbours of Port of Tallinn, according to the company's release. The annual number of passengers increased by 13%, or 900,000 passengers, recovering from the movement restrictions related to the pandemic.
Compared to last year, the cargo volume decreased by 29%, or 5 million tonnes, due to the implementation of sanctions on Russian and Belarussian cargo and general economic downturn. The number of vessel calls was relatively stable, decreasing by only 1.5% to 7,026 visits.
The number of passengers between the Estonian mainland and the main islands increased by 5% reaching an all-time record. The number of charter days of the icebreaker Botnica decreased by 4% due to the shorter period of summer charters.
According to Valdo Kalm, chairman of the management board of Port of Tallinn, the steady recovery of the passenger business continues at the expected pace.
In 2023, people travelled to the Estonian islands with the ferries more than ever, i.e. the number of trips, passengers and transported vehicles increased. The decrease in utilization rate of the icebreaker Botnica was due to the shorter charter period of the Baffinland project, so Botnica participated in three different shorter summer work projects, serving Equinor in June, British Petroleum in August, and moving to the usual Baffinland charter in northern Canada in early September.
