Swedish ports, Hutchison and Wallenius partner up on sustainable inland shipping

Ports of Stockholm, Hutchison Ports Stockholm, Mälarhamnar and Wallenius Marine have partnered up on a project to establish inland shipping between Stockholm Norvik Port and the strategically positioned Mälarhamnar ports of Västerås and Köping.

Ports of Stockholm’s all-new freight port, Stockholm Norvik Port, opened in May in a location that offers new opportunities for efficient and sustainable transportation in the expanding Stockholm and Mälardalen region.

At the same time, the Mälarhamnar ports are conducting substantial expansion projects that will enable them to handle larger freight volumes.

“We believe in the power of partnership and in shifting freight transports from land to water. This partnership will facilitate sustainable transportation in the greater Stockholm region, and the project is consequently of considerable interest to us,” Göran Söderdahl, Senior Commercial Manager, Wallenius Marine, commented.

“The national freight transportation strategy focuses on tomorrow’s transport systems, where shipping plays a key role in establishing modern, efficient, and sustainable transportation systems. Inland shipping is absolutely in line with the government’s objectives and will help achieve a substantial shift of freight transportation away from our roads,” Pia Berglund, National Inland Shipping Coordinator at the Swedish Transport Administration, said.

90 percent of all imported goods arrive in Sweden by sea, with the majority destined for the greater Stockholm region.

“If shipping companies, forwarding companies and cargo owners are to be able to operate and use an inland shipping system, the ports must work together in a chain, and there must be suitable fairways for the job. We, the ports, must, therefore, play our part and work together to implement the measures needed to enable this traffic to become a reality in Sweden,” Carola Alzén, CEO of Mälarhamnar, pointed out.

Stockholm Norvik Port is located closer than any other container terminal to what is, by far, Sweden’s biggest consumption area, and also offers a shorter route to the open sea than any other east coast port, according to the parties.

“Stockholm Norvik Port provides a unique opportunity to create an inland shipping system that would enhance the efficiency of transportation in the Stockholm region. It will provide additional opportunities for our customers and will also reduce congestion and the environmental impact of the overland infrastructure,” Johan Wallén, Marketing and Sales Manager at Ports of Stockholm, explained.

Transporting the goods by sea directly to Stockholm Norvik Port, and then on to the Mälarhamnar ports via Lake Mälaren, will offload the currently heavily congested road and rail networks. Consequently, this is expected to help bring about a more sustainable transport network within the greater Stockholm region.