New record for RoRo vessels

SCA Logistics operates three RoRo vessels on regular routes across the North Sea and Baltic Sea. In addition to Sweden, the routes serve northern Europe and the United Kingdom. A new record was set in August, with a total monthly cargo volume of 149,985 tonnes. Volumes have increased both southbound and northbound. “It’s many years since we were close to these figures, but it’s not a temporary peak; volumes have been rising over time,” says Ellenor.

Increased production

One explanation is SCA’s investment in the Östrand Pulp Mill, which has seen a significant increase in production and therefore in the need for transportation to the customer. SCA’s investment in packaging paper production at the Obbola Paper Mill has had an even greater impact on RoRo volumes, as it has increased cargoes in both directions. “We are both shipping more packaging paper southbound and more raw materials, in the form of recycled fibre, northbound,” says Ellenor, who explains that shipping on a large scale is always positive. “Increased volumes are both more cost-effective and generate lower emissions per transported tonne,” she notes.

Room for more

While SCA’s RoRo vessels are generally well-filled, there is often space for more cargo. “Although the vessels are sometimes full, we can usually reschedule or arrange transportation in some other way. We can offer many alternatives. The greatest opportunities are usually on the northbound route from Kiel,” says Ellenor.

SCA’s ro-ro services are popular for a number of reasons, not least their speed and reliability and because they are suitable for many types of cargo. Aluminium and industrial components are common, as are vehicles such as caravans, loaders, excavators and cranes. The vessels are also ideal for transporting large and heavy project cargoes such as wind turbine components, concrete blocks and various structural components. A large proportion of cargo is loaded on cassettes, meaning that SCA can lash the cargo ashore, speeding up both loading and unloading. The cassette system also minimises cargo handling, significantly reducing the level of damage.

Text: Jennie Zetterqvist
Photo: Håkan Sjödin