Port of Gothenburg freight figures for 2018 have just been compiled. Container volumes rose by 17 per cent compared with the previous year. Energy products, intra-European ro-ro* units and new cars all fell by one per cent, albeit in relation to the high comparative figures for these three segments in 2017.
Increase in container volumes
Volumes for 2018 reveal an upturn for containers of 110,000 TEUs**, a rise of 17 per cent on 2017. The number of containers transported by rail during 2018 increased by 13 per cent.
Fall in energy products
Some 23.4 million tonnes of energy products were handled, a fall in the previous year of one per cent. Viewed historically, energy products still remain at record levels – 2018 was the third year in succession in which energy volumes exceeded 23 million tonnes.
High figures for cars and ro-ro level out
Following volume growth for three consecutive years, intra-European ro-ro figures have levelled out but still remain high. A total of 584,000 units were handled in 2018, down one per cent compared to the previous year.
During 2017, the number of new cars passing through the port was the highest for 10 years. Despite a one per cent fall, the figures for 2018 show that volumes remain consistently high.
Port of Gothenburg freight volumes 2018
| Jan-Dec 2018 | Jan-Dec 2017 | Change % | |
| Containers (TEU) | 753,000 | 643,000 | 17% |
| Rail (TEU) | 398,000 | 351,000 | 13% |
| Ro-ro units | 584,000 | 593,000 | -1% |
| New cars | 290,000 | 295,000 | -1% |
| Energy products, m tonnes | 23,4 | 23,5 | -1% |
| Cruise ship calls | 43 | 40 | 8% |
| Passengers | 1,673,000 | 1,733,000 | -3% |
| Total, m tonnes | 40,5 | 40,8 | -1% |
* Ro-ro stands for roll-on/roll-off and refers to trailers and other wheeled cargo carried on vessels operating within and outside Europe.
** Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit (20-foot container)
Source: Port of Gothenburg (Additional information about the port at CruiseMapper)