Hector Rail Stora Enso Cooperation Continues
The Hector Rail Stora Enso cooperation will continue, as both businesses have pledged to continue their cooperation up to 2022. Their current activities encompass the transportation of timber from Norway to Mills in Skoghall (Karlstad) and Grums. Hector Rail and Stora Enso began cooperating in 2008, since which time business has tripled in volume. In order to modernise their activities, Hector Rail will use larger-profile freight wagons in its activities, as well as introducing new locomotives. This will make operations more environmentally sustainable and streamlined, which meets the ethos of Stora Enso’s activities as a leading provider of environmentally sustainable solutions.
Hector Rail’s operations for Stora Enso currently involve the transportation of around 1.5 million cubic metres of timber from terminals in Gudbrandsdalen and Østerdalen. The terms of the new arrangement will come into force in 2018. Hector Rail is currently developing the larger-profile wagon fleet.
The bulk of the production will be carried out by new electric locomotives. They will be more environmentally friendly, as they feature regenerative braking which feeds back electricity into the grid when braking. The new locomotives will also be more reliable and robust. They also have a last mile function, which sees them installed with a diesel engine and radio remote control which enables operators to shunt wagons to and from terminals without the need for overhead power lines.
Hector Rail’s decision to invest in the new locomotives shows its commitment to provide innovative and sustainable rail solutions. Stora Enso is a leading provider of renewable products in packaging, biomaterials, wooden constructions and paper for international markets. Its customers include publishers, retailers, brand owners, print and board producers, printing houses, merchants, converters and joineries and construction companies. Stora Enso aims to replace fossil based materials by innovating and developing new products and services from wood and renewable materials.
