Trelleborg ramps up ro-ro capacity with quay rebuild

The Swedish port of Trelleborg has advanced its relocation plans by giving Skanska the job of revamping part of its existing commercial quay into a dedicated ro-ro berth.

It covers 250 m of the port’s 500-m quay and will be equipped with five side fenders and a bulb fender to support freight-focused vessel operations.

The project forms the final stage of the port’s 2010 environmental ruling, under which all regular vessel traffic is being progressively shifted from the older harbour area into the modern port basin. Scheduled for completion early next year, it will bring the number of ro-ro berths to eight.

Growing importance

Since that decision, ro-ro freight volumes have risen beyond original forecasts, placing additional pressure on handling capacity at one of Scandinavia’s most important freight gateways.

Trelleborg‘s role is of growing importance for unaccompanied trailer and freight traffic across the southern Baltic and North Sea corridor, with high-frequency sailings underpinning major European supply chains.

The expansion reflects sustained growth in freight flows through the port’s ro-ro system, which handles a high proportion of Sweden’s international road freight via trailer and semi-trailer traffic on scheduled ferry services linking Germany, Poland and Lithuania.