True will to go green: Norway’s leading rail freight operator CargoNet chooses Kalmar Heavy Electric Forklift

“I dare say that this terminal is the most efficient in all of Europe,” says Hans Ivar Biribakken, Operations Manager at CargoNet’s intermodal site in Oslo.

As Norway’s biggest transport company for goods by rail, CargoNet follows an ambitious policy not only for productivity, but also for reducing their CO2 emissions with eco-efficient equipment. Sustainability is one of the reasons they have been a Kalmar customer for three decades.

“Kalmar has proven to be far ahead in this development,” Biribakken says.

Quiet, fast and great to drive

With Kalmar’s Heavy Electric Forklift, CargoNet now has improved capabilities for sustainable freight handling operations in Oslo.

“Everything we’ve seen from Kalmar has been of very high quality,” says Biribakken. The Heavy Electric Forklift is no exception: management and drivers alike are extremely happy with its performance.

“The forklift is great to drive. It’s quiet and fast. It’s very reactive, and the electric truck makes the working environment a lot better because of the lack of noise,” says Nattaphol Khamsita, forklift operator at CargoNet.

“Everything we’ve seen from Kalmar has been of very high quality.”

Eco-efficient lifting capacity for any industry

The Kalmar Heavy Electric Forklift is designed for lifting 18–33 tonne loads, with zero emissions at source. Bredo Steen-Gundersen, Country Director at Kalmar Norway, considers the machine suitable for practically any industry. 

“I think it’s the responsibility of all industries to be a part of the green transition, so our machine is the right choice for everyone aiming to go green. But you need to have the willingness to change your operations, and a willingness to invest. It takes true will from a company.”

“What does it help if your production is green, when your transportation is black?”

The challenge in transitioning to green cargo handling is that it goes beyond simply changing your diesel machines to electric ones. It involves changing the whole operation, including new working methods for drivers – and that’s where support and training from Kalmar come into play.

“We don’t really talk so much about the machine, we talk about the whole solution around this change. This is a new way of going forward in the industry,” Steen-Gundersen says.

The shift towards electric equipment is inevitable, and forward-thinking terminal operators like CargoNet have realized this. In addition to government regulations and a company’s own sustainability goals, a key driver for going electric is the need to provide customers with green solutions throughout their whole value chain. As Steen-Gundersen puts it: “What does it help if your production is green, when your transportation is black?”.

“I would say our role is to help CargoNet become a zero-emission supplier of intermodal goods handling in Norway. That is the main goal we have together.”

Working on a sustainable future together

Shared values make Kalmar an ideal supplier for CargoNet, and that relationship works both ways.

“They are a very professional company, and they are very honest: you always know what they expect of you,” Steen-Gundersen says. “They also have very future-oriented sensibilities.” 

In addition to the Heavy Electric Forklift, CargoNet also has a Kalmar Electric Reachstacker in use. According to Steen-Gundersen, they plan to constantly improve their eco-efficiency in the future, with Kalmar by their side.

“I would say our role is to help CargoNet become a zero-emission supplier of intermodal goods handling in Norway. That is the main goal we have together.”