SCA will reduce emissions from its Roll-on/Roll-off (RoRo) vessel operations by approximately 40% starting 1 October 2026, through a combination of lower speeds and higher load factors. The changes include reducing weekly departures from Umeå from three to two, with vessels sailing at 11-12 knots compared to the current 15 knots. The efficiency measure was announced by SCA's Senior Vice President of Sourcing & Logistics, Magnus Svensson.
The restructured service will include one weekly departure to Kiel and one to London and Rotterdam. Vessels will now also call at Piteå's Haraholmen port area, loading production from SCA's Munksund mill and delivering recycled fibre. This eliminates the previous rail connection between Munksund and Umeå. The changes are expected to shift 550,000-600,000 tonnes of annual cargo to Piteå, making SCA one of the port's largest customers alongside its existing 300,000 cubic metres of sawmill volumes.
The adjustments respond to new EU regulations that impose increasing costs on maritime emissions. Southbound cargo that cannot be accommodated will transfer to alternative solutions. While Umeå will see 300,000-400,000 fewer tonnes loaded annually from the Munksund mill, growing volumes from SCA's Obbola paper mill are expected to offset the net effect in Umeå.
