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Special call for record load

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The worlds longest press brake in front of vessel Fiona Sea.
Words: Maritha Arcos
Photo: Patrick Degerman

Shipping the world’s longest press brake from the Norrland coast to the USA is no mean feat. By making use of the local port, Ursviken Technology cut its greenhouse gas emissions by more than half.

In an export market spanning four continents, maritime transport plays an important part. So when Ursviken Technology was preparing to ship the world’s longest press brake across the Atlantic in the middle of a bitter cold winter, they had to put their thinking caps on.

The longest piece measures around 20 metres and weighs a little over 60 tonnes. When it was time to ship it and a further 11 units of similar dignity from Ursviken in northern Sweden to Charleston in the USA, they had to find a safe, climate-smart, cost-effective logistics solution. The factory is only 10 km from the Port of Skellefteå, but as there is no regular RoRo service to the port, it’s more than a little unusual for this type of load to be shipped locally.

‘We usually have to haul this kind of load by road for long distances to reach a port where large RoRo vessels make calls. Not a good solution at all in this case as the steel structure can rust as a result of all the road salt,’ says Johan Karlberg, Regional Manager Northern Sweden for Greencarrier Freight Services, who were engaged to plan the shipment.

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Johan Karlberg, Greencarrier Freight Services and Aneta Rycaj, Ursviken Technology.

Johan Karlberg, Greencarrier Freight Services and Aneta Rycaj, Ursviken Technology.
Photo: Patrick Degerman

Solution on their doorstep

When Greencarrier Freight Services began comparing distribution chains, they soon discovered there was no need to cross the river to fetch water.

‘These days, WALLENIUS SOL is up this way almost every week, so an extra stop in Skellefteå was the perfect solution, and one that wasn’t possible before,’ says Johan Karlberg.

In the morning on 16 March, WALLENIUS SOL called at the Port of Skellefteå where the record metal structures were safely taken on board for the voyage to Antwerp. Wallenius Wilhelmsen will take care of the remaining distance across the Atlantic, and is expected to dock in the USA at the end of April.

‘I was really happy to discover that we not only could ship the goods from Skellefteå, but that it was also one of the cheapest alternatives,’ says Aneta Rycaj, Distribution Manager at Ursviken Technology.

Green benefits

Thanks to WALLENIUS SOL’s call at the Port of Skellefteå, 11 truckloads of freight totalling 504 tonnes now only had to travel the short distance from the factory to the port. The alternative would have involved a 1,000 km road haulage to Gothenburg, resulting in traffic disruption, wear on the road surface and a greater risk of damaging the goods. By letting WALLENIUS SOL take care of the entire route segment to Antwerp, Ursviken Technology has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 54 per cent.

‘And these figures do not include the carbon footprint of the escort vehicles, so in reality we are talking even greater climate benefits. This is a good example of how new logistics capabilities also benefit the local business community, thanks to industrial development along the Norrland coast,’ says Johan Karlberg.