Sustainability via Short Sea Shuttle Concept

Paper in proceeding, 2014

Efficient short sea shipping is vital for trade and industry in Northern Europe. About 90% of the volume of goods exported or imported to Sweden is transported by ships in at least one part of the transport chain. It is therefore important to find cost-effective solutions for shipping in order to improve the global availability of goods in Northern Europe and to reduce the environmental impact caused by the transport industry. The purpose of this paper is to develop a container shipping concept – the Short Sea Shuttle Concept. The concept involves transportation of containers between a number of ports and a hub port with functional inland connections, fixed schedules, and high reliability and departure frequency. High punctuality is an essential factor for the shuttles, as it allows a transfer of more time-sensitive cargo to sea, which currently is transported by other modes.