More than just containers on container ships

Despite being optimised to carry containers, it is possible, indeed desirable, to ship breakbulk cargo far beyond the limitations of what can fit in a container, argues those in the know.

“We notice that more and more people are discovering the possibility,” said Marco Cicola, who is responsible for breakbulk segment at shipping company MSC Sweden.

“It’s nice to see that we can expand our customer base and thus also allow them to take advantage of our liner network and see that it is perfectly possible to load and unload almost anything on a container ship.”

Depending on the size of the ship, cargo can be up to 40 metres in length and up to 12 metres in width. The largest ships that sail directly between Gothenburg and Asia each week are close to 60 metres wide and can load breakbulk cargo of around 40 metres in length. The cranes on the land side at APM Terminals Gothenburg are able to handle cargo of up to 100 tonnes.

This means that large and heavy breakbulk cargo such as transformers, construction machinery, large inputs for the steel industry can be shipped to and from the Port of Gothenburg on container ships.

The most common way to load and unload breakbulk cargo is to roll the goods on or off the ships at the port’s RoRo terminals. However, this is not the only option, as Richard Mellgren, senior business development manager at Gothenburg Port Authority explains.

“It is becoming increasingly common to ship breakbulk cargo on container vessels, and it is a good complement for container shipping lines,” he said.

“For project cargo customers, this means that they gain access to an overall broader range of options at the port – especially when it comes to direct calls to Asia and North America.”