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The port of Oslo builds on the success of Cool Oslo Shortsea

    The Port of Oslo continues the success of the previous Cool Oslo Shortsea projects, focusing on the Baltic. Cool Oslo Shortsea is a collaborative project between ports, owners of goods, and logistics players to transfer cargo from road to sea. The previous projects have been of clear benefit in terms of, knowledge and networks, and they have led to documentable growth and transmission of cargo.

    Transfer from road to sea

    The Oslo Port completed two projects in 2017 and 2018 together with Yilport Oslo. In 2017, Bama, Coop, Interfrukt and the Norwegian Fruit and Vegetable Wholesalers Association participated actively in the project. In 2018, collaboration with Bama and Coop, in particular, was continued, and the project was expanded to include a broader range of merchants, goods and logistics players. The project was also extended by partially including ro-ro offers to/from Oslo in addition to containers. The plans had a clear primary focus on European cargo with origin/destination west/south of Denmark.

    The previous projects have been of clear benefit in terms of knowledge and networks, and they have led to documentable growth and transmission. In 2018, the Port of Oslo had a container increase of 14% (29,500 TEU’s), of which 24,900 TEU’s (over 80%) were 45′ containers. So far in 2019 (first seven months), the port of Oslo has had a container growth of 13% compared to last year (17,500 TEU’s), where 85% of the increase comes from 45′ containers. During 2017/2018, a new container line entered into service between Oslo and the Baltic Sea (Lithuania and Poland). The line in Poland / the Baltic region contributed approx. 50% of the growth and several contributors to the previous project have pointed out the potential for the transfer of more goods with origin/destination Poland / Baltic. So far in 2019, 1 new ro-ro line (Kiel) has been established, and in August Samskip started a new container line between the Baltics, Oslo and Western Norway.

    The new Cool Oslo Shortsea project focuses on the Baltic region

    Too little knowledge of transport to/from the Baltic Sea area (Russia, the Baltic States, and Poland) has been the focus in 2019. The large furniture chains have been a driver for the transfer of road-to-sea transports from the Baltic Sea area, and much of the basis for the new lines can relate to these transports. The port of Oslo and Yilport is currently conducting an extensive survey of companies with transportation to/from the Baltic area. The study provides improved knowledge regarding potential cargo owners in the region. The aim is to facilitate the shipping companies’ job of attracting cargo. The methodology is similar to previous Cool Oslo Shortsea projects. The knowledge base is available to the shipping companies when it is ready.

    Cool Oslo Shortsea

    As in the previous projects, efforts are being made to establish a dialogue between merchants and logistics players for goods flows that do not currently use sea transport. Oslo Harbor KF, in collaboration with Yilport Oslo, conducted meetings and gathered information from several players in several market segments. At the Baltic Transport Forum in Kaliningrad with actors from Russia, the Baltic countries and Belarus, the project was on the agenda. Shortly, this will be followed up by the goods owner forum in Estonia (in collaboration with Enterprise Estonia and the Norwegian Embassy in Estonia) and in Latvia (in partnership with the Latvian-Norwegian Chamber of Commerce, Innovation Latvia, the Embassy of Latvia in Norway and the Norwegian Embassy in Latvia). These partners have been very active in providing information and contacts.