Port of Gothenburg goes fossil-free on rail shuttles

The Port of Gothenburg has revealed it is operating fossil-free in its combi-terminals achieving a last-mile transport carbon emission saving of around 90%.

The GDL Sjöcontainer operates the rail shuttles in Eskilstuna, Hallsberg and Jönköping and sees 19 departures each week. The freight carried on the shuttles is transported by truck between the terminals and local warehouses and logistics centres. Since 5 November 2021, these transport movements have been fossil-free.

The use of rail on the routes to and from Gothenburg, in combination with GDL’s fossil-free distribution, produces a saving of around 18,000 tonnes of CO2 annually, compared with if the transport were to take place by road using conventional diesel fuel.

The trucks that were used to transfer the freight between rail trucks and road trucks at the terminals also run on HV0100, further reducing the port’s carbon footprint.

“Rail is hard to beat when taking account of the environment, finances, capacity, and reliability. In combination with collaborating rail and terminal operators, freight owners and other parties in and around the port, these are the success factors that have for a long time allowed rail transport to flourish,” commented Claes Sundmark, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the Gothenburg Port Authority.

“Climate and the environment are crucial factors when creating logistics systems. Bearing this in mind, we are extremely pleased that companies such as GDL are continuing to develop the rail-based concept as the climate-smart alternative for inland transport.”

The Port of Gothenburg has also recently outlined a plan to construct a hydrogen production facility, alongside clean energy producers Statkraft, which will be used to power different types of freight-handling equipment.

Announced in November 2021, both parties entered into an agreement to conduct an in-depth investigation for an interim storage facility and filling station at the port. A preliminary investigation is already underway and is scheduled to be completed by the beginning of 2022.

https://www.porttechnology.org/news/port-of-gothenburg-goes-fossil-free-on-rail-shuttles/