LEO Pharma, a Danish pharmaceutical company, has contracted DB Cargo and Jutlandia Terminal to supply and handle raw materials for its plant near the Port of Esbjerg.
The company expects to receive more than 100kt for its production facility in Esbjerg.
The shipments will arrive by rail from Germany, some 25 tank-trailers per train a few times per week. Jutlandia Terminal will handle these for the last-mile delivery (several kilometres) by truck to LEO Pharma's plant.
According to the pharmaceutical company, the switch to rail will lower carbon emissions by more than 70% compared with the road option. In addition, there will be 5,000 fewer lorry transports on the motorway network every year.
"Obviously, we're always looking at how we can do things smarter. That goes for both our semi-automated plant at Esbjerg and the way we transport raw materials as well as our products to and from the site. Our location close to the harbour at Esbjerg allows us to switch our mode of transport from lorries to trains, and it'll give us not only more stable deliveries, but also better climate accounts," Hans Ivar Mortensen, Senior Manager at LEO Pharma's Esbjerg plant, said.
The Port of Esbjerg's CEO, Dennis Jul Pedersen, also said, "Renovating the rail line was a long-term strategic move for us. Rail is a more climate-friendly mode of transport, and we knew there would be a demand. The regular weekly runs give us a platform for scaling up the use of rail even more, giving the companies operating at the port the flexibility to switch between modes of transport in their day-to-day operations."
Thomas Vestergaard, Head of International Sales Denmark at DB Cargo, also commented, "When you start up a freight route, it's important to get a regular service in the books. It gives other companies at the port a better and flexible choice when choosing modes of transport. So we expect the contract with LEO Pharma will attract even more climate-friendly rail transport to and from the port of Esbjerg."
"This is our core service. We assist our customers in switching between modes of transport, store goods and make sure that the handling of goods at the port runs as smoothly as possible. Rail transport offers even more flexibility for our customers, so we're very pleased to see Port Esbjerg initiating this collaboration," Michael Rühe, General Manager of Jutlandia Terminal, also said.
The newest service is an addition to the one carrying wood, also from Germany, for Ribe Trælast, which uses it for producing packaging materials.
Pedersen summed up by saying, "Freight transport by rail has a bright future, in particular because the European motorways are terribly congested. In addition, freight rail transport combined with sea transport is a good way to reduce carbon emissions and ensure a better climate for the future. We're confident that we'll see even more freight arriving and departing on the rail line at the port of Esbjerg in the future."
Photo: LEO Pharma/Port of Esbjerg/DB Cargo/Jutlandia Terminal