Port Highlight: Port of Lappeenranta (FI)
Good news about our ports
05 September 2025
For each EFIP meeting, a 'Port Highlight' is published, which is an interview with the host port of the following internal meeting. With this section on our website, we are helping you to discover Europe’s inland ports and understand their differences. On 11-12 September 2025, EFIP's members will gather in Lappeenranta (Finland) for their Executive Committee Meeting.
Passenger harbour, Lappeenranta
- Can you give us a short introduction of the Port of Lappeenranta?
The Port of Lappeenranta operates a passenger harbour located in the centre of the Lappeenranta city and cargo port of Mustola, located approximately 10 kilometres from the city center. The Port of Mustola is located close to the main roads by the Saimaa Canal which connects deep-water channel of the Lake Saimaa to the Baltic Sea. The port area spans some 60 hectares including seven quays, sheltered storage facilities, field areas, container depot as well as direct railroad connection. The port of Mustola houses industrial production and circular economy companies as well as companies providing logistics and warehousing services mainly for the forest industry. Annually the volume of incoming and outgoing goods sum up to approximately one million tons.
2. How do the Saimaa Lake ports fit into the activities of the Finnish ports in general?
There are six public ports and seven industrial ports by the Saimaa Lake. The whole Lake Saimaa region is important for the sourcing of raw materials and processing for the forest industry, that, altogether have a significant role in Finnish economy. The deep-water channel connecting the Lake Saimaa region and the Baltic Sea runs partially through the Russian territory and, has been unoperational (although technically open for vessel traffic) since February 2022. Today, IWT serves mainly forest industry’s raw material logistics and an is important part of the supply chain management in Eastern Finland. In 2023, the total volume was 1,4 million tons. In addition to vessels, timber rafting is a unique, traditional transportation mode for round wood for pulp mills and sawmills.
3. What are the lessons that the Saimaa lake ports have learned given their isolated position and development challenges?
Russia’s aggression against Ukraine in February 2022 practically cut the connection from the Lake Saimaa to the Baltic Sea. Despite the challenging situation, the ports have maintained their service levels and continued the development of infrastructure to improve their offering for domestic customers and to be ready to serve international operators as soon as the situation normalises again. Good logistic connections make ports an attractive location of companies. Especially, circular economy and clean energy related industries are interested in port environments. Difficult times have forced ports to look for new business opportunities but at the same time to take good care of their existing clientele.
4. Today there are growing demands on European transport to fulfil dual-use roles to ensure defence preparedness. Given Saimaa Lake ports location, what are the most important things to consider when ports are trying to full-fill these new roles?
The Lake Saimaa, locates close to the eastern border of Finland, the EU and Nato. The lake effectively breaks the terrain, consequently the region's road and railway network crosses the watercourse countless times. The current geopolitical situation has increased the importance of inland waterways as an alternative route to roads and railways for transporting goods and people in all conditions and disruptions. Preparedness requires that the watershed has sufficient civilian infrastructure e.g. transferable docks and modern vessels that can be used for dual-use purposes, for example, to replace bridges or to load and transport heavy cargo, if necessary. Preparedness also necessitates a close cooperation between various authorities and ports.
Port of Mustola
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