Paper, timber and other forestry industry products are moved by rail from paper mills and saw mills throughout Sweden to the Port of Gothenburg for onward transport by sea to export markets worldwide. In certain case southbound goods need to be reloaded into containers.
The potential for reloading will increase markedly in Gothenburg with the news that logistics company RPG, Roger Peterson Group, will be investing in a new logistics terminal specialising in the forestry industry. The terminal will be beside the port at Arendal. RPG has developed the project in close collaboration with NCC, which will build the property, and the Gothenburg Port Authority, which sold the land.
"In recent times world demand for Swedish paper has increased and RPG's new terminal means we have yet another company in the port serving the forestry industry, further reinforcing our role as a hub for Swedish paper exports," says Magnus Kårestedt, Gothenburg Port Authority chief executive.
The new forestry terminal will result in increased volumes for the Port of Gothenburg. Within a year the terminal will be able to handle 1.5 million tonnes of paper and other forestry products, equivalent to 110,000 containers (20-foot TEU). RPG is aiming for full capacity utilisation within just a few years. A large proportion will be completely new volumes for the port and will be a significant addition. In 2009, 820,000 containers were shipped through the port. In comparison, the second largest port in Sweden, Helsingborg, handled 125,000 containers during the same period.
Exports to the rest of Europe pass through the roro-terminals whilst exports to other parts of the world will pass via the Skandia Container Terminal.
"The increase in volumes is of course positive for the port and we have the necessary handling capacity, includingthevery significant volumes planned for the future," states Sven Porelius, President of Skandia Container Terminal AB.
Construction of the 20,000 m² buildingwill commence in January 2011 and is due to be completed in 2012. Double rail tracks, of which one is inside the building, means that a whole train can enter the building. Separate roads will facilitate transport by truck between the terminal and the port.
The terminal will also reload import goods from containers to trucks for onward transport into the Swedish commercial system. Steel and other types of goods will also be handled at the terminal.