Hazardous material transport in Finland declines amid sanctions on Russia

In Finland, tens of millions of tons of hazardous materials are transported annually. However, railway transport across the eastern border has significantly decreased due to sanctions resulting from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Anu Häkkinen, a leading expert from the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency (Traficom), reported that dangerous goods transported by train have declined from a typical range of 4 to 5 million tons to less than 2 million tons. Besides railway transport, hazardous materials are also moved via road, air, and maritime routes.

Traficom assesses the volume of hazardous material transportation every five years. In 2022, over 50 million tons of dangerous goods were transported through various modes of transport. Road transportation accounts for around 10 to 15 million tons annually, primarily occurring between ports and industrial sites along major traffic routes. Most goods arrive in Finland by sea, though some transit through road transport from Sweden and Norway.

The range of transported hazardous materials is wide, including batteries for retail, aerosol paints, lithium batteries, and oils. Approximately 60% of such materials involve fuels and heating oils. Other hazardous items include corrosive substances, industrial acids, and gases, as well as fertilizers and pesticides used in agriculture.

Häkkinen noted that the concentration, quantity, and characteristics of materials influence their level of danger during transport. Additionally, changes in the economy and shifts towards electric vehicles could alter the demand for certain types of hazardous materials. Increasingly, companies need to consider cybersecurity threats in the transport of hazardous materials, as potential attacks on systems could target firms involved in these operations.