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The Port of Helsingborg lies on the southwestern end of Sweden across the Oresund (The Sound) that separates Denmark and Sweden. Just 22 nautical miles from Kobenhavn (Copenhagen), it is the easiest place for vehicles to cross between Sweden and Europe. Located on the closest point in Sweden to Denmark, Denmark’s Port of Elsinore (Helsingor) is clearly visible, just three nautical miles to the east.
Known as the “Pearl of the Sound,” the Port of Helsingborg is an important shipping center and manufacturing center with connections by ferry and railway to both Sweden’s and Denmark’s transportation networks. In 2005, about 122 thousand people lived in the Port of Helsingborg, and that population was increasing by about 1.7 thousand people per year. Capital of Skane County, the Port of Helsingborg serves a regional population of about 300 thousand people, making it one of Sweden’s largest metropolitan areas.
Helsingborgs Hamn AB is the port authority for the Port of Helsingborg. It strives to make the port a competitive hub for both land and marine transportation while also maintaining high security and environmental quality.
Located at the narrowest part of Oresund (The Sound) on the entrance to the Baltic Sea, the Port of Helsingborg has extensive rail and road connections with inland Sweden and Europe. Common cargoes handled at the Port of Helsingborg include pellets, chemicals, iron powder, paper, vegetables, fruits, and other foods. The ferries at the Port of Helsingborg carry 11 million passengers and 2.5 million vehicles every year, and the port handles about seven million tons of cargo per year.
The Port of Helsingborg contains five harbors: North Harbor, West Harbor, South Harbor, Bulk Harbor, and Marina. The North Harbor contains four basins and is home to the ferry traffic between the Port of Helsingborg and Denmark. The combined ferry-train-coach terminal, called Knutpunkten, is located in the city center and inner North Harbor. The Swedish-Danish company Scandlines operates three ferries that carry people and cars from the berths at Knutpunkten. The Norwegian ferry company, Sundsbussarna, has its own terminal. The third ferry company, HH Ferries, carries passengers and vehicles from the Sound Terminal. The North Harbor’s Ocean Terminal is a back-up for cargo handling, and other docks in the North Harbor are used for repairing ships, the pilot service, and the tugs.
The Port of Helsingborg newest harbor, West Harbor, handles mainly unitized cargoes. It contains two basins with depths of 9 and 13 meters and a 300-meter diameter outer dock. Both basins serve container cargoes, and there are three ramps for roll-on/roll-off traffic. The deepest basin can accommodate Panamax vessels. The West Terminal covers 190 thousand square meters and has a 900-meter long quay. The Combiterminal is located next to the West Terminal and has a working area of 2.8 million hectares served by three kilometers of rail track. The West Harbor also contains a separate quay for handling and storing wood fiber pellets that go directly to the Oresundskraft power plant.

The South Harbor is the most diverse port facility in the Port of Helsingborg. It contains terminals for grain, oil, and roll-on/roll-off traffic. A portion of the harbor has been revamped to handle container traffic as well. The Grain Terminal is one of the largest in northern Europe with capacity for storing 250 thousand tons. Water depths at the Grain Terminal range from 10.5 to 13.5 meters. The Oil Terminal, used for petrol and heating oil, has three tanker quays.
The most southern harbor is the Bulk Harbor at the Port of Helsingborg. Owned by chemical producer Kemira Kemi AB, it has been operated by the port authority since 1991. The harbor can also accommodate handling and storage of other bulk goods. The Bulk Harbor has two quays with modern cargo-handling facilities and storage capacity for 200 thousand tons of dry bulk cargoes. The quay is 210 meters long with alongside depths from 7 to 10 meters and can accommodate vessels to 35 thousand DWT. The Bulk Harbor’s eastern quay has alongside depth of 7 meters and has a loading/unloading facility. Liquid bulk cargoes are also handled at the Bulk Harbor.
Over the last decade, the Port of Helsingborg has actively pursued more cruise ship business. Several American cruise lines are regular customers and consider the Port of Helsingborg a good alternative to the traditional “capital” cruises. Several German companies are increasingly interested in bringing passengers to visit the Sofiero Castle and the beautiful scenery of the Port of Helsingborg.