The Dutch shortsea and intermodal operator[ds_preview] Samskip joins forces with Smurfit Kappa and BCTN Roermond to establish a sustainable solution for hinterland transportation in the Netherlands.
The goal of the initiative is to shift cargo from the road to inland shipping networks, the partners announced today. Smurfit Kappa is a leading producer of paper-based packaging. BCTN is operating an inland terminal in Nijmegen since 1987.
According to the statement, Samskip handles most of the paper-based cargoes that are shipped in containers within Europe to Smurfit Kappa’s cardboard factory in Roermond in the Netherlands. Following a substantial increase in demand, together with BCTN, the three parties sought a more sustainable solution to cope with the increased volumes for the last mile delivery from Rotterdam to Roermond.
Taking the cargo flows off the road and onto ‘blue road’ inland waterway services would guarantee available capacity, and will save Smurfit Kappa carbon emissions of 45 kg CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) per load, it was said.
In addition, Samskip will be able to offer higher payloads (up to 26.7 tonnes) to other customers with cargo into the Cologne, Bonn and Koblenz areas as the BCTN terminal is situated between Samskip’s Duisburg and Mannheim depots.
The first loads were unloaded in Roermond at the beginning of December, and 60 containers a week are expected to be shipped by inland waterway between Rotterdam and Roermond.
