The transport corridor to and from the entire Baltic region

TRANSPORT: Major extensions are planned for Denmark’s fastest growing transport centre. The Scandinavian Transport Centre in Køge will now integrate the seaway and motorway with a new railway terminal and a rail link to the European net.

A location directly on Scandinavia’s central motorway junction, with direct access to Funen-Jutland-Europe and the Rødby-Putgarten ferry, has made the Scandinavian Transport Centre in Køge south of Copenhagen into Denmark’s fastest growing transport, logistics and distribution centre. It comprises a land based centre, Køge Harbour and a 3 kilometer road link between the two. The road network is currently being supplemented with the construction of a railway line and a mini railway terminal at the land centre, which is due for completion by 2006 and will help to make the centre one of Scandinavia’s most important transport junctions.

“There is no doubt that more and more freight will be moved from motorway to railway in the future,” says director Thomas Elm Kampmann, Scandinavian Transport Centre. “The combination of seaway, motorway and railway, and an internal infrastructure between the three forms of transport, is essential to the logistics of the future.”

The location for the establishment of the Scandinavian Transport Centre in 2000 was optimal. Køge Harbour lies close to motorway E20 from Copenhagen and Sweden, just before it divides into E20 and E47. Adjacent to the motorway there is 1.3 million m3 of available land, which in the near future will be increased by 40%. And the three kilometers between the harbour and transport centre were just right for the construction of road and rail link between the two. The transport centre’s location, just 20 km from Copenhagen Airport with its large cargo centre, does not make the location less suitable.

“The connection between a wet and dry harbour is unique. It is actually quite exceptional that we can now drive 24/7 between the wet harbour and dry harbour without bothering a soul,” says Kampmann. “We now also have the railway at the harbour linked directly to the European rail net, and with the establishment of the rail terminal in the dry harbour, the foundation has been laid for many years’ progress.”

Four years after the first turf was cut, 80% of the original area of the land based transport centre has been exploited and it is planned to expand the centre by a further 500,000 m3. The leading global developer of distribution systems, ProLogis, which recently established its business at the centre, is currently building a 111,000 m2 project. ProLogis Park Copenhagen will comprise six separate distribution buildings with the latest technical facilities.

“In addition to the location by the central motorway junction, and the connection with Køge Harbour, it is also permitted to construct buildings up to 25 meters in height, which attracts the users of Scandinavian Transport Centre,” says Thomas Elm Kampmann. “It creates a lot of opportunities regardless of the product, to develop distribution and logistics solutions.” 

Director Thomas Elm Kampmann, Scandinavian Transport Centre.

Køge Harbour has historically been the access point to the Baltic and thus all the Baltic states and Russia. Today the harbour has a water depth of 7.5 meters which will soon be deepened to 8 meters. This makes it into an obvious harbour for ferries and a lot of other sea transport to and from the Baltic states.

“The economies of Poland, the Baltic states and Russia are running in high gear, and that naturally rubs off on transport needs,” says Kampmann. “Our only problem is space. The harbour is currently exploited 110%, and we are forced to be very selective in our choice of customers. That problem will be solved by an enlargement over the next few years, and a doubling of the harbour’s capacity and area is already at the planning stage. The first extensions with quay areas for new ferries and ferry routes are already close to being completed. After that new business areas are planned to be integrated with the land based transport centre by the motorway.”

In addition to expanding the areas, Thomas Elm Kampmann also expects that a hotel will be built at the Scandinavian Transport Centre in the near future.

“The need for a hotel is there, just as a 3rd party forwarding company is needed. But I have no doubts at all that it will come.”