Two Swedish shipping companies - Wallenius and Swedish Orient Line (SOL) - have formed a shipowning joint venture that will sail from ports in Sweden and Finland.
The company has five ships so far and plans to order four LNG-powered newbuilds to operate ice-class vessels for the forestry product trades in the Gulf of Bothnia and Baltic Sea area.
The new Nordic joint venture, named WALLENIUS SOL, is to strengthen the infrastructure for the needs of Finnish and Swedish industry. The first customers to sign long-term agreements are Stora Enso and Metsä Board.
”Together we can offer a strong mix of experience and competence, which can support a growing forest industry”, said Ragnar Johansson, Managing Director WALLENIUS SOL.
”Wallenius has experience from industrial shipping, ship owning, ship building and ship management. SOL brings the competence of logistics from forest industry and other types of cargo in this geographical area,” Ragnar added.
WALLENIUS SOL will have service in the region around the Baltic Sea including Gulf of Bothnia, operating from five ports with regular calls to the continent and the UK.
WALLENIUS SOL can offer cost-efficient, operationally efficient and sustainable transports to the forest industry and other customers.