Focus on logistics optimisation

The transportation of raw materials and finished products places a stress on the environment. The impacts can be reduced through optimised routing and by favouring rail and sea transportation and low-emission fuels. 

Each year our mills receive several million tonnes of raw materials, additives and operational supplies. Delivering end products to customers also results in a high traffic volume. Furthermore, solid waste needs to be transported to recovery and disposal facilities. In total, UPM delivers approximately 1.4 million truckloads  of products and raw materials around the world every year; that is, one load every 22 seconds. 

The majority of UPM’s haulage is handled by contract partners who are required to comply with UPM’s Cargo Handling Manual which includes instructions for cargo handling, storage, transportation and occupational health and safety.

Logistics offer job opportunities in rural areas

In addition to wood sourcing, transportation and logistics have a significant socio-economic impact on rural areas around the UPM mill sites. We employ annually thousands of harvester and truck drivers and hundreds of railroad workers. Looking at UPM global scale, this – together with purchases from the forest owners – results in significant support for local livelihoods in rural Europe, USA and Uruguay.

State-of-the-art vessels for sustainable sea transportation

In 2019, we entered a long-term charter agreement with the Finnish Bore Ltd and the Dutch Wijnne Barends, both affiliates of the Dutch Spliethoff Group. They have designed and built seven state-of-the-art vessels for our sea transport operations and all of them are now in service.

All vessels are ice-strengthened and meet the latest technological, operational and environmental standards. They can use both traditional maritime fuel and liquid natural gas (LNG) which results in a significant (approximately 25%) reduction of CO2 emissions compared with commonly used marine gas oil. In addition, nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulphur oxides (SOx) emissions will decrease approximately 85% and 99%, respectively. The emissions of soot particles will also decrease by 99%.

The vessels employ approximately 60 maritime transportation professionals.