Electric Barge will reduce emissions by 95%

 

Avatar Logistics and Jehander are planning for a new electric barge ship for transporting sand and gravel within the Stockholm region. The companies have a collaboration on maritime transport, where Avtar's existing vessel MS Jehander 1 transports aggregates to the concrete factories in Stockholm.

 

The new barge vessel is expected to be operational in mid-2024. "It is gratifying that we have signed a joint letter of intent regarding the construction of a new, environmentally efficient barge vessel adapted for bulk transport within the Stockholm area. The electric barge ship is becoming more technologically advanced and will have double the cargo capacity. This means that for each cargo, the barge ship can replace 100 trucks by land. With the planned electric drive, the barge vessel will also reduce Jehander's CO2 impact by up to 95% compared to the corresponding truck option. It will strongly contribute to a cleaner environment in Stockholm's inner city, says Johan Lantz, CEO of Avatar Logistics AB.

 

The new barge ship will be built according to eu regulations for barge traffic (Inland waterway transport/Inland navigation). A first design has already been developed by Shipyard Ferus Smit B.V. in Holland. As the next step, Avatar Logistics will seek green co-financing. Barge ships are specially adapted for traffic within the domestic transport system and on urban waterways. They replace – and complement – truck transport and are very common in the EU. Existing 50-year-old MS Jehander 1 transports 300,000 tonnes of aggregate (rock and gravel material) annually from Jehander's gravel pits in Lake Mälaren to the concrete factories in central Stockholm.

 

"We want to continue to use shipping and also increase our maritime transport throughout Lake Mälaren. Ship transport increases sustainability and efficiency for both us and society at large. A new electric barge vessel is a natural step in our environmental strategy," says Mats Björkryd, CEO of Jehander.

 

Avatar Logistics AB develops logistics solutions on regional domestic waterways. The company is owned by the shipping companies Erik Thun AB in Lidköping and the Dutch barge shipping company VT Group Ltd.

 

Sand & Grus AB Jehander is part of the HeidelbergCement Group, global market leader in the ballast product area and a significant player in cement, concrete and other related operations. HeidelbergCement is one of the world's largest producers of building materials.