New logistics setup enables more climate friendly export of Swedish pulp through the Port of Gothenburg

Thanks to a collaboration between parties in the logistics hub of the Port of Gothenburg, a unique transshipment solution is now being introduced, enabling significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions for the Swedish forest industry group Södra.

For centuries, the Swedish forest has been a cornerstone of the Swedish export industry, and it remains in high demand, to say the least. In 2022, Sweden exported forest products worth almost € 20 billion, more than ever before.

Now, another step has been taken to optimize and stabilize the export process for a part of Sweden's green gold. This is achieved by Södra, introducing a new flow of pulp via the Port of Gothenburg through an entirely new logistics arrangement.

Typically, pulp from Södra is transported by rail and truck from Södra’s production facility in Mönsterås on the Swedish east coast, for transshipment at Mima Terminals' facilities in the Port of Gothenburg. There, the bales are loaded into containers for further global delivery.

Now, a new solution is created by Södra and Mima Terminal, in collaboration with container terminal operator APM Terminals. In part to be able to handle rapid volume growth, as well as to optimize the transports from an emissions perspective. This solution establishes an alternative corridor where new volumes are transported by sea between Mönsterås and the Port of Gothenburg.

"Mima Terminal has swiftly responded to our adjusted demand. Reliability and flexibility are crucial for our production facilities, and the collaboration has worked extremely well. Our vessels have had high utilization rates, making this a solution that is both efficient and economically viable," says Ola Holgersson, Logistics Manager at Södra.

When a bulk carrier departs from Mönsterås, it is loaded with up to 5,600 tons of pulp (equivalent to 140 trucks). Thirty-six hours later, the ship arrives at the container terminal in the Port of Gothenburg operated by APM Terminals. Mima Terminal unloads Södra's time-chartered vessels, containerizes and temporarily stores the pulp before shipping it via container vessels to markets on other continents.

"Here at Mima Terminal, we have all the necessary infrastructure in place to efficiently containerize the pulp bales in our facility, strategically located next to APM Terminals' quay. We are very proud to offer the industry an alternative to truck transport in the port, and in this case, Södra is a pioneer," explains Michael Bergman, CEO of Mima Terminal.