Sustainable transport continues with secondary fuels

5th November 2019

Geminor

Lanna Deamer

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The shift towards sustainable transport continues as Geminor commences rail transport of secondary fuels from Italy to Scandinavia. Late last year, Geminor was the first company to begin export of waste fuels from Italy to Scandinavia. The contract signed with the municipality of Naples opened for an export of 10,000 tonnes of waste annually. The export continues as planned, but the transport has now been altered, according to Andreas Hefler, Geminor Country Manager for Germany and Italy.

The first train delivery of RDF from Naples left early October, and arrived according to plan in the Copenhagen district in Denmark a week later.

"This project is yet another milestone for Geminor, demonstrating an efficient and sustainable transport option through central Europe," said Hefler.

Landfill challenges

The RDF-transport on rails will continue in the months to come, with cargo transported from Naples through Switzerland and Germany every second week. Every train load constitutes approximately 400 tonnes of waste fuels, and the trip is calculated to take between one and two weeks. The shift from ships to train transport is not very time saving, but a more practical and sustainable alternative, Hefler explained.

In order to help solve the ongoing landfill challenges in southern Italy, Geminor is holding a number of tender volumes with our Italian partner. The RFD-bales are packaged odourless and waterproof, which makes it possible to use the reverse train logistics of DB Cargo. The transport by electric trains is not only CO₂-neutral compared to shipping and trailers, it is also more practical, said Hefler.

"Train transport will become increasingly important for the waste industry," Hefler argued.

A growing market combined with a lack of truck drivers in Europe gives train transport an increasingly important role on long haul transportation.

"It is important for Geminor to drive this development, and we hope that others follow suit." Hefler concluded.