Every mile counts: ZOUTMAN chooses green transport
From our sites in Roeselare and Ghent, we deliver up to 450,000 tonnes of sea salt annually to customers in more than sixty countries. By shifting to rail and inland shipping, we’re consciously moving towards a more sustainable logistics model.
Himpe Olivier (Logistics Manager), Keirsebilck Lore (Supply Chain Coordinator), Delbaere Maarten (Sustainability Manager)
We work exclusively with sea salt, a natural raw material with minimal environmental impact. We extend that same sustainable vision to our supply chain. In a sector where transport can represent up to 70% of the product price, an efficient and ecological approach isn’t optional — it’s essential.
In collaboration with POM West Flanders and Multimodaal.Vlaanderen, we analysed several flows with potential for modal shift.
Rail transport to Poland
Where we previously shipped to Poland entirely by road, we now use rail transport via PCC Intermodal. Goods are loaded into 45 ft containers, trucked to the terminal in Antwerp, and then shipped by train to various inland terminals in Poland. The final leg is again by road.
This reduces road transport by 56,300 km annually and saves 86 tonnes of CO₂.
Inland shipping for export containers
Previously, empty containers were trucked from the Port of Antwerp to our production sites and returned after filling. We now take a smarter route via inland terminals.
After filling, containers are brought to inland terminals closer to our sites — River Terminal Wielsbeke for Roeselare, ITG Kluizendok or Sifferdok for Ghent. From there, they continue by barge to the deepsea terminals in the Port of Antwerp-Bruges.
This modal shift saves up to 66,000 km of road transport annually and reduces CO₂ emissions by 57 tonnes.
