Print This Article

WWL opens office in St Petersburg, Russia

November 24, 2009

2009-11-23: Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics (WWL) has opened its own office in Russia. Based in St Petersburg, in Russia’s second largest city, the new European branch is part of the company’s long term strategy to develop a strong logistics presence in the country.

WWL has been operating in Russia since 2003 and first called at the port of St Petersburg in January 2009 when it established a transhipment service specifically for high and heavy RoRo (roll on roll off) cargoes emanating from the Americas and Asia.

The transhipment service runs weekly from Gothenburg to St Petersburg via Kotka in Finland and is typically carrying agricultural and construction equipment as well vehicles.

Complimenting this is a service that WWL is offering to and from St Petersburg and other ports in the Baltic Sea based on transhipment solutions with commercial short-sea carriers.

Within the past few weeks the WWL RoRo vessels M/V Tortugas and M/V Fidelio made successful proving calls at St. Petersburg at berth 46/47 of Petrolesport to trial the berthing facilities in the port for WWL’s most recent generation of deep-sea RoRo vessels.

WWL has build an international reputation on its award-winning ocean transport liner services, and the company intends to offer its customers its entire five product portfolio in Russia - ocean services, terminal and technical services, inland transport and supply chain management.

Anders Boman, Head of WWL Region Europe said: “The opening of our St Petersburg office is a milestone in developing our presence in Russia. Despite the current downturn, we believe in the Russian market for the long term. In the future we are looking to expand our offering in the country, adding Black Sea ports and rail for cargo originating in Asia to complement our Baltic Sea services.

“Customer demand will determine when and which services we introduce first into Russia alongside our existing ocean product. However, by the end of 2009 we intend to offer supply chain management expertise and inland transport using carefully selected third-party providers in the country”, he added.

Kimmo Särmäkari, Managing Director, WWL Russia: said: “St Petersburg is one of the principal entry ports by sea into Russia with cargoes being delivered mainly into the western part of the country, the main commuter area around Moscow and also to other CIS countries.

“We are working on several tenders both for export and import cargoes. Trucks, buses, tractors and other rolling material and static break bulk cargo will form the mainstay of our export business,” Mr Särmäkari concluded.

WWL will be serving St Petersburg initially weekly with a transhipment service from Gothenburg, Sweden and Kotka, Finland, with additional feeder services from Bremerhaven, Germany and Zeebrugge, Belgium.

The company expects to ship a wide variety of cargoes including automotive, high and heavy RoRo cargoes and static/break-bulk and project cargoes to and from St Petersburg.

Contact details:

The new WWL office in St Petersburg is at Kellerman center, 4th floor, 10th Krasnoarmeyskaya Str 22 St. Petersburg, Russia 190103, Tel +7 812 458 57 87.

Tags: ro-ro, roll-on roll-off, Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics, WWL

Related posts

• U.S.-Middle East ro-ro trade struggling for traction
• WWL to Carry Chryslers to Europe and Australia
• Wilh. Wilhelmsen Profit, Revenue Fall Sharply
• Ro-Ros for Clunkers
• Charleston Profit Falls 53 Percent