From saw mill era to future logistics

As industry in northern Sweden transforms and gears up the need for transportation increases and now one of the country’s most crucial transportation hubs is under development in Sundsvall. The idea is to reduce carbon emissions through transport solutions with a lower impact on the environment. The investment is coordinated by the municipal company Sundsvall Logistikpark.

Sundsvall has a long history as an industrial cluster, from the saw mill era in the 1800s to the current measures being taken in industrial companies such as SCA and Valmet as well as the Swedish Transport Administration. Now a new logistics hub is under development that will connect the railroad, shipping lines and roads for modern transportation. This will allow greater volumes to be shipped by trains and boats instead of trucks on roads. Transportation will become more efficient, with a lower impact on the environment while meeting the increasing demand from business in the region.

Peab is building a new combi terminal with establishment surfaces, roads and railroads on behalf of the municipal company Sundsvall Logistikpark. The company coordinates several of the major expansion activities in the area Tunadal-Korsta-Ortviken, among them SCA’s new container port that Peab is also building.

The logistic park will be the first to be built according to the world-leading environmental certification system in construction and infrastructure: Ceequal. The system assesses sustainability in a project from a comprehensive perspective and covers categories such as project management, transportation, contamination, resources, land use and ecology. One example is the reuse of excavated soil. All excavated soil will be used in other parts of the project such as in the 800 meter long and 200 meter wide noise barrier.

Reusing and recycling are recurrent themes in this project. Historical timber baron’s manors from the turn of the century were moved by flatboat to new residential areas where the houses will live new lives. The project even made sure that as many construction details and garden plants as possible were also rescued.

“We at Sundsvall Logistikpark are laser focused on the environment and sustainability. Through our work with Ceequal certification the project has produced solutions to build a transportation hub in Sundsvall with a limited environmental impact. The logistic park enables sustainable development in the entire region where both new and existing businesses will have access to efficient transportation,” says Sven Magnusson, CEO of Sundsvall Logistikpark.