How can Nordic–Baltic ports strengthen regional energy resilience while responding to growing geopolitical and security challenges? A new policy brief by POTENT-X-affiliated doctoral student Veronika Slakaityte, commissioned by Nordic Energy Research, examines the increasingly strategic role of ports in the region and the governance challenges that come with it.

More Than Commercial Infrastructure

Ports are becoming increasingly important to the energy transition. Offshore wind, electrification, alternative maritime fuels, and CO₂ infrastructure are expanding their role in regional energy systems. At the same time, geopolitical tensions are placing additional demands on port infrastructure, particularly for preparedness and military mobility.

As a result, ports are taking on functions whose value extends beyond their immediate commercial operations. This raises an important policy question: who should be responsible for investing in and maintaining port capacity that serves the wider energy and security systems?

Governing Strategic Capacity

The policy brief highlights a potential gap between commercially oriented port governance and the broader needs of regional resilience. While commercial principles remain important for allocating scarce land and capital, they may not provide sufficient incentives to develop infrastructure and capabilities that benefit the wider energy and security system.

The brief argues that strengthening Nordic–Baltic resilience requires a more coordinated approach to strategic port capacity, built around three key considerations:

• Complementary capabilities: Ports across the region should develop capabilities that complement one another, supporting a more interconnected and resilient regional system.
• Targeted redundancy: Where critical port functions cannot easily be substituted, deliberate redundancy is needed to reduce vulnerabilities and maintain operations during disruptions.
• Public mandates and financing: Strategic capacity may require public mandates and financial support when its wider system-level value is not adequately reflected in commercial incentives.

Rethinking the Strategic Role of Ports

The findings point to the need to recognise ports not only as commercial gateways but also as critical components of regional energy resilience and security. As their responsibilities expand, decisions about infrastructure investment, capacity allocation, redundancy, and financing must increasingly account for the benefits ports provide to the wider system and not only their direct commercial returns.

For policymakers, this means considering how public responsibilities and financing mechanisms can complement existing port governance arrangements to ensure that strategically important capabilities are available when they are needed.

The policy brief was commissioned by Nordic Energy Research.

Read the full policy brief: “Governing Strategic Port Capacity for Nordic–Baltic Energy Resilience” – [here]