VEDLEGG 6 BGLC-report

Rune Arnøy, Port director, Port of Narvik

Jan Erik Netter, Advisor for Port of Narvik

Date: 03.03.2014

We are now discussing our outcome of the BGLC project participation, and could, if commented or mentioned from other BGLC partners, agree that we have been somewhat absent in discussions and meetings during the BGLC project period, but we have all the way had an eye on the project progress and distributed documents and reports. We must also underline that we did not see the total project potential when we became a partner. We should have given more attention to the collaboration possibilities in the budget work, but we are sure there will be some BGLC follow up projects to discuss and take part in after the Umeå final conference! It is in the end of a project period that new ideas turn up and the BGLC project is no exception in that respect. We are now examining the BGLC results of findings to position ourselves and look for further cooperation possibilities.

Port of Narvik is mainly participating in activities connected to Work Package 3 (WP3), (but has also an eye focusing on WP6):

WP3 consists of five different activities with five different goals:

1. Upgrade the Bothnian Corridor to a Green Corridor

2. Find out how port of Narvik should handle the increased ore shipments

3. Study semitrailer models and find one that we think will work in the Swedish weather

4. Learn how to make the railways more reliable and how to fix errors quicker than we do today

The outcomes of these activities will be carried over into the project’s other areas and form a base to the development of BGLS Future Strategy.

The main Port of Narvik activity has been the Canada port visit. We now very well our challenges, position and possibilities in the Barents region and towards east (rail and road and TEN-T connections). Could we be of interest as a port (bulk and general cargo/unit loads) to connect our region towards west, i. e. US East Coast and Canada? Port of Narvik is

positioned for connecting to both Canada and USA, and we see that as a Scandinavian and BGLC challenge and interest as well. The visit to Canadian bulk ports was arranged and gave us the opportunity to obtain new contacts and build future networks. Port of Narvik and BGLC partners joined efforts and experienced interesting days in Canada. The Canada visit is summarized in a BGLC report.

It was planned to visit European main bulk ports as well, but we have not discussed that further and for the Port of Narvik it also had to do with the tense budget situation. A benchmarking process was meant to be started as a follow up and a preparation for new port visits, but was not discussed further.

We will probably discuss the European port visit again and if there is an interest for a new study visit after BGLC.

The last three years have been both active and prosperous for the Port of Narvik, and we have not had the necessary time and budget available for deep involvement in meetings, workshops and commenting the project reports and findings. We have had partner contact in between but have not been involved in given projects. Now we are in a summing up position, the port staff has expanded and been working on future port development projects, and it is not only bulk cargo interests we are focusing on! We are in the beginning of an interesting and important sea/rail/road transport development. The rail/road connection and intermodal cargo transfer in our Narvik Terminal are growing. We are now close to 100 000 TEU/year and are now by far the fastest growing and the biggest intermodal road/rail terminal in the Northern Scandinavian Region. We will increase our efforts in building up a sea/rail/road connection due to growing interest from fisheries and the fish farming industry.

We have read most of the BGLC reports and evaluated them from Port of Narvik’s and NorNarvik Havn KF way’s point of view.

Since we have obviously not presented all our activities, and we have in some BGLC projects fallen “out of the map”! It is important that all reports are quality controlled before they are formally finished.

We must underline that we are the main exporter in Norway of fish/fish products by rail from the Narvik Terminal via Alnabru terminal to European and overseas markets. There are projects involving other Norwegian ports and rail connections that are not in operation today. We are not mentioned in that respect. Referring to the project:

A2A – ATLANTIC TO ADRIATIC. New Intermodal Shuttle Connection. As a part of the project, stakeholders along the route of the A2A connection have been collaborating with the aim to establish a new train service. Full scale pilot trains are to be run during the project that ends in 2014.

We have also been informed through the BGLC web-sites that a project report has been presented recently: “Future Strategic Freight Transport Nodes in the Bothnian Corridor”. We regret to say that the report is not updated and is not presenting correct information!

“Future Strategic Freight Transport Nodes in the Bothnian Corridor” There are a number of intermodal terminals throughout the Baltic Sea Area, but the availability of information regarding their operation is very limited. Based on interviews and consultations conducted in previous studies, it was estimated that a total volume of 40 000 TEU/year will keep the daily operations of a land based intermodal terminal at a necessary performance level, and this level can be justified as a strategic node in intermodal transport. Corrections

Port of Narvik is now handling approx. 90 000 TEU/year road/rail in the Narvik Terminal! We are the only terminal with direct sea connections as well!

The Steering Group and consultants should have contacted Port of Narvik

The map is not correct when it comes to fisheries. What about Lofoten area outside Narvik/Ofoten. One of the world’s biggest catch areas? What about fish farming?

Narvik Havn KF

The map is not correct when it comes to intermodal nodes. Port of Narvik is missing! It also have the advantage that it is located in the port!

The table 7 on page 25 in the report should be updated with volumes for 2012 (2013).

It should be known that The Narvik rail connections (ARE, NRE) yearly represent close to 1 million tons of containerized cargo!

We have just started to read through the report but will not accept it to be open distributed before all misinformation are detected and corrected. It will take about a week from now. We will also discuss this matter in Umeå March 6th 2014.