2M Links Kobe to Gothenburg

The Maersk Edmonton is the first vessel to call Gothenburg from Kobe, Japan within a new deep sea service established between APM Terminals Gothenburg and Japan, under the new 2M alliance.

According to APM, container vessels from Sweden will now be able to reach Kobe and Yokohama, a voyage that previously did not exist.

The vessel called at APM Terminals Gothenburg on 25th of February.

“2M’s decision to establish a link between our terminal and Japan further consolidates Gothenburg as the natural logistics hub and promotes regional trade and industry in Sweden and Norway,” says Patrik Thulin, Chief Commercial Officer APM Terminals Gothenburg.

In recent years, carriers have been joining hands to form alliances in response to vessel overcapacity trying to benefit from economies of scale. On the trade route between Asia and North Europe, the majority of container traffic is now handled by four major alliances.

For port terminals, the consequences of such alliances mean operating fewer but larger calls. Not all terminals can accommodate these bigger vessels and larger calls, and only by investing in upgrades will they be able to remain competitive, as recently highlighted by Kim Fejfer, CEO APM Terminals.

APM Terminals Gothenburg is currently undergoing such transformation. Two new 24-container wide reach super post-Panamax STS cranes and two rail-mounted gantry cranes will become operational in Spring 2015, as will the completion of an expansion project that is adding a sixth access track to accommodate three, instead of the current two, full trains of 750 meters in length simultaneously.

“The new investment at our terminal enables us to handle larger calls in a more efficient manner. At the same time, the larger volumes affected our planning and foresight to be able to quickly and efficiently transport goods to and from vessels, through the terminal, and onto the market,” explains Thulin.