GAC onboard for Sweden’s first inland shipping shuttle service

Inland cargo shipping specialist Rederei Deymann has appointed GAC Sweden AB as the port and booking agent for their new shuttle service linking the country’s capital and one of its key logistics hubs. It will be Sweden’s first inland waterway container barge service.

Starting from 18 May, the 110m long barge ‘Emelie Deymann’ will carry up to 208 TEU containers twice weekly between Stockholm Norvik port on the Baltic coast and Västerås 100km to the west in central Sweden. Västerås is one of the country’s main logistical hubs due to its central location in the densely populated Mälardalen region and excellent links to the road, rail and shipping network.

GAC Sweden will work with Rederei Deymann’s commercial representative in Sweden, Barge Transport Sweden AB (BTSA), to run the service. BTSA will set rates for the service and GAC will handle bookings as well as provide ship agency and supporting services for the barge at Stockholm, Västerås and along the route linking the two.

The service is in line with the Swedish Government’s initiative supporting the movement of goods by water, which has less impact on the environment than transportation by road. It is the first example in Sweden of a regular transportation service using smaller EU inland waterway classed vessels for a reliable, viable alternative to road transportation which helps reduce congestion and carbon dioxide emissions.

Johan Ehn, GAC Sweden’s Managing Director, says: “At a time when sustainability is at the top of many agendas, we are delighted to play a key role in this new, ecologically friendly solution using the country’s inland waterways. It is in line with our strategy to constantly offer proactive and innovative ways to serve our logistics customers in the energy sector and beyond.”

Lars Rexius, BTSA’s Marketing and Commercial Manager, says: “We are proud to be working with Deymann and GAC Sweden to offer Swedish industry an alternative that is both cost-effective and environmentally friendly. We believe the timing is right and we have great support also from the ports involved.”