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, we ship our paper by sea or intermodal transport as much as possible. As a paper supplier, we have to be flexible and reliable, always 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.

Sea vessel

Holmen's vessel, M/S Baltic Bright delivers 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 vessel means that we can reduce 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. We do our utmost to minimize the miles on the road, using vessels and intermodal transports as much as possible.

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, LKW WALTER, we saved 2 178 380 kg CO₂ in 2022 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, at our paper mills we only use HVO for our internal transports.

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 2030.

footsteps

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, there are clear contractual terms for the procurement of transport services. The rules that apply to consignments arriving at the mills are part of the customer agreements.

There is a mandatory safety procedure that 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.

In addition there is an alcohol testing procedure, where sample breathalyser tests are carried out for product shipments as well as incoming goods. The initiative increases safety inside the gates with its zero tolerance. It also benefits road safety and supports social responsibility in the long term.

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

Sea vessel

Intermodal transports

Fossil-free fuels

Safety on the road

More about logistics

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