In November 2019, WALLENIUS SOL will include Port of Vaasa in its regular liner network. The service is a major improvement for the region, enabling cost effective and environmentally friendly logistical solutions to the industry and trade.
With weekly calls, WALLENIUS SOL will connect Vaasa with the Belgian ports of Antwerp and Zeebrugge. This is made possible through a long-term co-operation with technology company Wärtsilä, who will have its state-of-the-art production facility on site. The facility, called the Smart Technology Hub, will be located in direct connection with Port of Vaasa from 2021 onwards. All inbound deliveries from Central Europe to Vaasa will be routed via a consolidation point in Antwerp with the weekly sailings offered by WALLENIUS SOL. Furthermore, WALLENIUS SOL will ship the ready-made engines southbound from Wärtsilä to its customers worldwide, also with Antwerp as hub.
“These long-term industrial co-operations are where we see the future growth for WALLENIUS SOL, and we are very happy about the trust given to us by Wärtsilä. The need for more tailormade solutions is evident in the Baltic region,” says Ragnar Johansson, Managing Director of WALLENIUS SOL.
The service will also be available for other customers of cargo such as trailers, containers and other RoRo cargo on the route between Vaasa and Antwerp/Zeebrugge.
“The start of a regular liner service between Vaasa and continental Europe is a major improvement in the logistics of the Vaasa region. The new liner service will provide cost effective and environmentally friendly logistical solutions to the industry and trade in the region,” says KWH Logistics CEO Hannu Uusi-Pohjola.
Wärtsilä Finland’s Managing Director Vesa Riihimäki looks forward to the co-operation.
“The transition of Wärtsilä’s production to the Smart Technology Hub in Vaskiluoto fosters the development of new, environmentally friendly options. The new route enables a consolidation of the road transportation to sea and an optimization of our logistical solutions,” says Vesa Riihimäki.