Green corridors between Sweden and Germany

A functioning, more environmentally friendly supply chain requires all players to actively participate in the transition to sustainable transportation. How such a chain can be successfully implemented was demonstrated by the Port of Gothenburg, Stena Line, the Port of Kiel and the Port of Hamburg as organizers as well as many companies at the conference entitled "Green transport corridors - linking Europe and Scandinavia" in Gothenburg. "The shipping industry is currently under considerable pressure to accelerate the process of decarbonization. However, it cannot achieve this transformation single-handedly. The efforts towards decarbonization must unite the broader industry, involving ports, shippers, carriers, manufacturers, investors, energy suppliers, and policymakers. The example of Stena Line, on the "Gothenburg-Kiel" route, shows what is already possible," says Marina Basso Michael Regional Director Europe at Port of Hamburg Marketing.

For 55 years, Stena Line and its ferries have formed the backbone of Swedish-German trade on the Kiel-Gothenburg route. “Every maritime link is just as strong as the cooperation between all parties, which is why we put a lot of efforts in finding the right solution for each individual demand - be it accompanied or unaccompanied cargo, project load or intermodal solutions. Efficiency and reliability are key in all transport plannings. On Kiel-Göteborg, our customers benefit from a daily frequency, allowing them to send their cargo over night from Northern Germany to Western Sweden and beyond,” says Katrin Verner, Stena Line Freight Commercial Manager.

Stena Line is not only testing new alternative fuels such as methanol on this route with the Stena Germanica. The shipping company has also been using shore power, which is available in both ports, for a long time. “As one of the largest ferry operators worldwide, we are aware of our responsibility to sustainably transform our business, which we face every day with ambition and optimism. We are convinced that we will still be able to offer attractive services in light of upcoming stricter regulation, which is both demanding and necessary. We count on our partners and customers, that they will continue to share our vision of connecting Europe for a sustainable future", says Mikko Juelich, Stena Line Trade Director Germany.

The shipping company receives great support from the two ports of Gothenburg and Kiel. The ships on the line have been able to use shore power here for years. At the same time, the port of Gothenburg is used to bunker the methanol. " We highly appreciate the ambitious steps that Stena Line has taken when it comes to paving the way for amongst others onshore power supply which has been in use for the last twenty years and ship to ship bunkering of methanol," says Göran Eriksson, CEO at the Port of Gothenburg, adding: "Germany is among Sweden’s largest trading partners and through the long term cooperation that has been in place between Stena Line, the Port of Kiel, the Port of Hamburg and the Port of Gothenburg, we have been able to deliver competitive and sustainable logistical solutions for the industry.”

Dr. Dirk Claus, Managing Director at Port of Kiel, also confirms that a close and cooperative exchange is the foundation of the German-Swedish success story between Kiel and Gothenburg. "We are pleased to be working with our Scandinavian partners on the future of this special transport and logistics route in order to make it even more environmentally friendly, digital and future-proof at all levels," emphasizes Claus. This also makes Port of Kiel one of the pioneers in shore-side power supply for ships. The port now has one of the most extensive shore power systems in Europe, which can supply up to six seagoing vessels in parallel. The port aims to be climate-neutral by 2030.

However, it is not only ports and shipping companies that are needed for a green supply chain; other logistics service providers such as rail and freight forwarders are also making their contribution, as Axel Mattern, CEO of Port of Hamburg Marketing, emphasized during the panel discussion. This is why it is so important to bring all players to the table, added Björn Garberg, National Coordinator for Inland and Short Sea Shipping at the Swedish Ministry of Transport, and warned: "We need to accelerate the green transition in the maritime industry. All stakeholders must work together and act in a coordinated manner to solve critical issues such as infrastructure maintenance and development."