A Journey of Timber: Part 1 – The Sawmill

The contrast between the serenity of the vast evergreen forests of the Nordics and the bustling and teeming markets of Egypt almost could not be greater. However, the two regions are intimately connected by trade. SOL vessels regularly transport pine and spruce products from harbors in the Baltic Sea bringing them almost 5,000 nautical miles to Alexandria deep in the Mediterranean Sea. This is the Journey of Timber.

Part 1: The Sawmill

The contrast between the serenity of the vast evergreen forests of the Nordics and the bustling and teeming markets of Egypt almost could not be greater. However, the two regions are intimately connected by trade. SOL vessels regularly transport pine and spruce products from harbors in the Baltic Sea bringing them almost 5,000 nautical miles to Alexandria deep in the Mediterranean Sea. This is the Journey of Timber.

The Swedish and Finnish annual export of sawn timber amounts to twenty million cubic meters. This puts both countries in the top five of the global export countries. Any other way of transporting these volumes than by ship is just not feasible.

SOL collects timber from many different ports in the Baltic Sea, on both the Swedish and the Finnish side. Very close to the port of Kalajoki in Finland, the sawmill company Junnikkala, has spent more than six decades expanding its presence in the global timber trade. As many of SOL’s customers they are committed to sustainable forestry and efficient logistics. The family-owned company operates three sawmills in northern Finland and exports wood products to markets around the world.

Sales Director Veli-Matti Junnikkala, says that the success of the Junnikkala business hinges on both responsible forestry practices and streamlined global shipping.

“We keep the wood moving, from production, to the buyer and to end customers all around the world.” The company produces 200,000 cubic meters of sawn timber annually, specializing in the sawing of hard pine for both domestic and export markets.

They have worked with the broker, Gothenburg Chartering, for many years. “When we get a contract, we finish the product, call Gothenburg Chartering, and they handle the rest. It’s really easy,” says Veli-Matti.

Efficient logistics

The timber from Sweden and Finland is used in everything from furniture and housing to concrete molds. Something that is very sought after in Egypt. Especially now that the new capital is being constructed. 

The process begins as soon as the logs arrive in the yard, where they are sorted for the right size buckets before going to quality control. After that it is cut to boards in specified dimensions, packaged, loaded on trucks and moved to the port where SOL takes over the transport.

While the system might sound straightforward, it involves significant technical expertise. “There’s a lot of technique involved. We’ve been doing this for a long time now,” says Veli-Matti.

Efficient logistics and timely shipments are critical, as delays can impact delivery schedules and customer satisfaction. SOL has been a partner for many of the mills for years and is appreciated for their reliability. The vessel for this particular journey, M/V TransOsprey, has a loading capacity of 25,000 cubic meters, which corresponds to 15,000 tonnes of timber.