Sustainable transports

Making paper requires various raw materials, everything from wood and chemicals to spare parts for the paper machines. And everything needs to be delivered to our paper mills in a sustainable way. And once our paper is produced, we bring it to our customers all over the world, responsibly and sustainably. Simply put, continuously working on improving our transports is one of the keys to growing a sustainable future.

Transporting goods to and from our production units, and orders from warehouses or harbours around the world, certainly takes some consideration if you want it done in a climate-friendly and responsible way. The majority of all consignments go from our paper mills direct to the customer. The remainder are so called transfer shipments, where the paper is delivered to terminals in Europe, from where the customers can then request supplies.

To minimise the impact on the climate, Holmen Paper use shipments by sea as much as possible, to the ports in Lübeck, Sheerness and Terneuzen, or by intermodal transport. As a paper supplier we have to be flexible and reliable, balancing customer needs and efficiency with sustainability in mind.

Continuously reducing CO2 emissions

The best environmental saving is the mileage not driven at all. Therefore, we do our utmost to minimize the miles on the road, using vessels and intermodal transports as much as possible.

Vessels

Holmen has two vessels, M/S Exporter and M/S Shipper, delivering our paper straight from the ports at the mills in Braviken and Hallsta to terminals in the Netherlands (Terneuzen), England (Sheerness) and Germany (Lübeck). Using our own vessels means that we can avoid a lot of CO₂ emissions, and it’s an efficient way to reach terminals on the way to customers, in Europe but even more so for container shipments to Asia and cross-Atlantic.

Using the vessels is one thing, delivering our paper from the mills. Through a joint venture with Dutch transporter Royal Wagenborg, the return sailings are now optimized as well, booked with goods on the way to the Stockholm area. Thereby each time eliminating about 250 km road transport, and consequently a large amount of CO₂ emissions.

Intermodal transports

Unfortunately, it’s not possible to avoid transports with trucks and trailers altogether. For example, many of our customers are located in areas nowhere near a harbour. Here’s where intermodal transports are a great supplement.

Intermodal transports refer to a combination of rail, sea and road transport. For instance, it can be that the goods are sent by vessel to a terminal in Europe, then onward to the final destination by train. Take Italy as an example, where almost 90% of our deliveries are made with intermodal transports, which is a much more sustainable solution than sending the goods with trucks. Looking at the statistics from one of our logistics partners, German LKW WALTER, we saved 2 906 022 kg CO₂ in 2019 through their intermodal shipments, compared with transportation by road all the way.

Fossil-free fuels

Although the preferred choice of transportation is vessel or intermodal, using trucks and lorries cannot be avoided entirely. Therefore, we have high demands on the carriers regarding CO₂ emissions, environmental ratings and regulations in connection with the transport procurement. And we live as we preach, Holmen Paper only use HVO for our internal transports at our paper mills.

The demands on the carriers have had effect. In 2019 we reached a level of approximately 70% fossil-free fuel for domestic deliveries. Naturally the goal is 100% which we plan to reach in 2025.

Safety on the road

Sustainable transport means more than avoiding CO₂ emissions. Safety is also an extremely important factor in delivering our paper in a responsible way. Producing thousands of tonnes of paper that are delivered near and far, our paper mills see a large number of vehicles come and go every year. And each delivery should be safe. With that in mind, Holmen Paper has drawn up clear contractual terms for the procurement of transport services and has also written into its customer agreements the rules that apply to consignments arriving at the mills.

In addition to a mandatory alcohol test, the safety procedure requires all drivers to identify themselves and their load, and to wear a reflective vest and safety shoes. Anyone failing on any of these criteria will be refused entry to the paper mill.

The work has certainly delivered results. Over 15 000 breathalyser tests have been carried out each year since the introduction in 2016, and applies not only to product shipments, but also to deliveries of input goods such as chemicals. An initiative that includes both road safety and social responsibility.

More about logistics

Providing our customers with the best possible service does not only mean producing world-class paper. It is also about delivering the customer's orders according to the desired specification, in the right time, in the right place and, most importantly, in a sustainable way. And here's how we do it.

Logistics

Sustainable transports

Continuously reducing CO2 emissions

Vessels

Intermodal transports

Fossil-free fuels

Safety on the road

More about logistics

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