Piteå - Gothenburg shuttle creates opportunities for industries in North of Sweden

The first weekly shuttle between Piteå and Gothenburg rolled out from APM Terminals on 9 April. The 500 metre long, full-sized shuttle, with capacity for 72 TEU, was loaded in Piteå with forestry products to then make the 1 400 kilometre trek back to Gothenburg and onto the world market.

The company behind the solution is First Row Shipping & Logistics AB with CFL Cargo Sverige AB operating the shuttle.

"As capacity problems such as container shortages and a lack of space in the Baltic Sea have increased, Piteå's local industry has found it difficult to send its exports. Which is why we have been approached to find routes other than the traditional feeder solution. Gothenburg has a completely different platform to stand on, with high capacity and an extensive line network," says Nikolas Rowland, founder and owner of First Row Shipping & Logistics AB.

"This solution is a new channel that creates more opportunities for industry in the north. Because of their geographical location, they depend on stable and reliable logistics solutions," Rowland continues.

Saves 87% in carbon dioxide emissions

Nikolas Rowland is convinced that there is a market for this type of solution in Norrland, where expansive distances often involve long truck transports.

“Sustainability is what finally closed the deal. Using shuttles to Gothenburg rather than lorries to Gävle and feeders to the continent cuts down on carbon dioxide emissions by 87%," Nikolas Rowland concludes.