Swedish forest products company SCA has introduced plans to invest approximately SEK 460 million ($54.7 million) in Tunadal Port between 2021 and 2024.
As reported, the investment will encompass a new container port and new cargo handling areas.
SCA’s investments in Östrand pulp mill, in addition to the ongoing investments in pulp production at the Ortviken industrial site, will more than double the volume of pulp to be shipped from the Sundsvall region.
The increased volumes mean that the pulp will be delivered to new and more distant markets. Tunadal and Bollsta sawmills are also ramping up their production volumes.
Containers are being increasingly used to transport pulp and solid-wood products. Over the past five years, the volume of containerized trade from Tunadal Port has more than doubled, according to SCA.
“This development has meant that we need to be able to handle larger volumes of containerized cargo than previously and be able to accommodate larger ships – both container ships and break bulk vessels,” Magnus Svensson , President Sourcing and Logistics at SCA, explained.
SCA is now building out the port to be able to accommodate ships with a draft of 15 meters, compared with the current 12 meters. Also, they plan to build a container port with a capacity of 100,000 TEU per year.
Finally, the company intends to build land south of the current port to create new space for cargo handling.