A 155m long bulk carrier, Alppila, transporting coal to a power plant in central Helsinki, Finland, was prevented from entering the Port of Helsinki and steamed away from the port accompanied by a Finnish coast guard vessel, following a protest from Greenpeace activists, the environmental organization said.
The activists from Finland, Denmark, Austria and Spain set out in high-speed inflatables from the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise at 4.30 (CET +1) on Sunday morning and one Finnish activist managed to climb on board.
As the crew onboard the Alppila physically detained the peaceful protester the remaining activists refrained from scaling the coal ship. Later, however, the activist managed to climb a crane onboard the coal ship and get to the grab. The Arctic Sunrise was following the events close by.
Greenpeace demands Helsinki to close its oldest coal-fired power plant and start the transition to completely renewable energy just like other Nordic capitals – Stockholm and Copenhagen – have already done.
Police detained nine activists who were taken to the Pasila police station for questioning.
The bulk carrier has a transport capacity of 23,000m3 and was loaded in Ust-Luga, Russia.
The Alppila managed to reach Helsinki at around 2 pm on Sunday, according to local reports. According to the vessel’s latest track information, the 2011-built ship is located in the port.
According to a Greenpeace recent poll, majority of the citizens in Helsinki want the city council to decide on closing down the Hanasaari coal power plant this year. 77% of the respondents want Helsinki to shift to completely renewable energy.
Almost half of the district heating in Helsinki is produced by black coal in Hanasaari and Salmisaari power plants. The two coal plants are responsible for nearly two million tonnes of carbon dioxide released to the atmosphere every year, Greenpeace said.
The activists’ demand coincides with City Council of Helsinki deciding on the development of the city’s energy future later this year.
“Right now, people all around the world are taking action to stop climate change so we can all breathe clean air. In Finland, this starts with closing down the decrepit Hanasaari power plant and starting the transition to renewable energy just as other Scandinavian capitals are already doing, ” said Greenpeace Nordic Climate and Energy Campaigner Laura Meller.