Kalasatamasta Pasilaan -tramway

AFRY’s tram project awarded with a BREEAM Infrastructure rating as first tram project in Finland

AFRY was responsible for implementing the BREEAM certification in the project

A new tram line in Helsinki, Finland, began operating in August. Implemented as an alliance project involving collaboration between multiple engineering and construction partners, including AFRY, the project placed an exceptional emphasis on sustainability. The project was recognized with a BREEAM Infrastructure certification in November 2024, being the first tram project in Finland to receive such a recognition.

BRE Academy awarded the project with a certification with the second-highest grade, "Excellent." AFRY was responsible for implementing the BREEAM certification in the project.

Helsinki’s newest tram line was constructed and designed between 2020 and 2024. The alliance project was commissioned by City transport and the City of Helsinki.

The clients’ vision tied sustainable infrastructure construction closely to the project’s goals. These included a long lifecycle, minimizing environmental impacts, and enhancing urban aesthetics. The achievement of these goals was guided by the BREEAM Infrastructure certification system.

“BREEAM certification served as a tool that helped us consider aspects related to environmental, social, and economic sustainability. It provided us with concrete criteria and actions for implementing sustainability,” says AFRY’s Sustainability Manager Eija Multanen, who was responsible for the BREEAM certification in the project.

The project succeeded, for instance, in reusing excavation materials and dismantled paving stones. Additionally, measures were implemented to promote biodiversity. For example, deadwood was placed near the tracks, and plant species chosen along the tram line were diverse and well-suited to withstand drought and heat.

The tram project was carried out through the collaboration of two alliances. AFRY and GRK formed one alliance, while the other alliance included Destia, Destia Rail, Sweco, and WSP. To achieve the environmental certification, all members of the alliances were strongly committed to developing and implementing sustainable solutions.

This is only the second time a BREEAM Infrastructure certification has been granted in Finland. The first was awarded in 2023 to a road project, also delivered as an alliance and for which AFRY was a designer.

Mikko Inkala - BU President, Transport Infrastructure

Mikko Inkala

BU President, Transport Infrastructure

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