Tata Steel Nederland says it is replacing a significant portion of road and water transport with rail freight, particularly for deliveries to customers in southern Poland and Slovakia.
This means a shift for about 160,000 tonnes/year of steel that used to be shipped by truck and vessel to nearby ports, followed by approximately 600km of road transport. For destinations in eastern Europe, three trains loaded with steel coils will now depart every two weeks.
In the Netherlands and Germany, these trains run on “green” electricity, Kallanish learns. The CO₂ savings result from intensive cooperation with around 50 customers, including major automotive brands as well as clients in engineering, construction and packaging sectors, Tata notes. The new rail route eliminates 3.5 million road km annually and achieves a substantial CO₂ reduction of around 4,300 tonnes/year, it adds.
According to logistics director Martin van der Meer, train transport also saves packaging materials, as the steel no longer requires seaworthy protection. “And it is faster – within 30 hours, the steel reaches the customer,” he concludes.
Christian Koehl Germany
