Rise in oil and energy products, fall in container, ro-ro and car traffic
The situation is up and down at the largest port in Scandinavia. During the first quarter of the year more crude oil, petrol and diesel were handled whilst there was a fall in container, ro-ro and car traffic.
Half of the crude oil in Sweden enters the country via the Port of Gothenburg. Petrol, diesel and a range of other energy products are produced at three refineries.
During the first quarter of 2015, oil and energy products rose by six per cent compared to the corresponding period in 2014. In total, 4.7 million tonnes of oil and energy products were handled at the Port of Gothenburg during the first quarter of this year.
Around 60 per cent of Sweden’s seaborne container traffic passes through the Port of Gothenburg. During the first quarter of 2015, 250,000 containers* were shipped via the port – down five per cent on the same period last year.
“The anticipated increase in volumes in the wake of a weaker krona has yet to materialise. The terminals’ extensive development programme has also had an impact on the figures,” said Magnus Kårestedt, Port of Gothenburg Chief Executive.
Despite the fall in the overall number of containers at the port, the number of containers transported to the port by rail has risen. More than half of the containers transported via the Port of Gothenburg now arrive at or depart from the port by rail instead of by road.
Magnus Kårestedt continued: “There has been an increase in the volume of freight transported to the port by rail. The new APM Terminals rail terminal for 750-metre trains, a double-track port railway and trials involving the use of longer trains are initiatives that will increase capacity even further.“
Ro-ro traffic**, which accounts for a large proportion of short-sea freight transport in Northern Europe, fell by seven per cent during the first quarter of this year. The fall is a direct result of the loss of services to Finland and the United Kingdom.
The number of cars handled also fell during the first quarter. In total, 41,000 cars were shipped via the Port of Gothenburg, a fall of four per cent on the same period last year.
Stena Line’s passenger traffic to Frederikshavn and Kiel fell by three per cent during the first quarter. Some 267,000 passengers arrived at or departed from Gothenburg during the period.
Source and Image Credit: Port of Gothenburg
