On Tuesday, June 17, the vessel Johanna was loaded with the first container cargo for the new route between Piteå and the continent. Around 50 representatives from companies in the region attended a breakfast meeting hosted by Piteå Port, ShoreLink and Transatlantic.
The visitors received information about the new container line and a tour of the port and the ship Johanna. The views on the new container line were very positive and many saw new opportunities.
"Piteå will be an excellent alternative for export and import cargo to northern Sweden and an important step in strengthening our offering of RoRo and container transport in the Baltic Sea region," says Nikolas Rowland, Commercial Director for Transatlantic.
The new line will regularly operate between Piteå and Antwerp with vessels that can handle all types of unit-based cargo, including project cargo. As Antwerp is one of the largest transshipment ports in Europe, there are good opportunities to reach the whole world with your goods.
Currently, the main plans are to load kraftliner rolls and sawn timber, as well as unload incoming recycled paper into containers. Susanne Jangdal, CEO of ShoreLink, notes that this is a good start and that there is great development potential.
The container line strengthens the Port of Piteå's role as an important logistics hub in northern Scandinavia. Ulrika Nilsson, CEO of Port of Piteå, also points out that the business community now has access to a wider range of sea transport.