Response to interpellation 2024/25:435 on the pilotage operations in Mälaren
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
KD argues that the reconstruction of the lock in Södertälje increases the capacity for sea transport. KD considers that the shortage of pilots is due to too few nautical trainings and that the government has taken measures to increase flexibility in training pathways 1. KD emphasizes that navigation support from land requires large investments and that digital solutions cannot completely replace pilots 2. S argues that the pilot shortage harms the business sector's competitiveness and supply 3. S considers the situation to be a systemic crisis that requires a holistic solution and expedited measures 3 4. S wants more transport by sea for sustainable logistics and regional development 5.
Written by AI in advance and may contain errors. The numbers lead to the speech a statement builds on; check against the text below.
Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)
Mr. Speaker! Lena Johansson has asked me what measures I intend to take to solve the problems within the pilotage operations in Mälaren and how I intend to ensure that companies and residents in the municipalities around Mälaren are not negatively affected by these problems. Lena Johansson has further asked me if there are plans to increase the number of trained pilots or improve working conditions to attract more to the profession and if there are digital solutions that I see as possible.
The reconstruction of the lock in Södertälje will increase the capacity for traffic on Mälaren by enabling transport with significantly larger vessels and thereby creating conditions for a better economy in sea transport. Unfortunately, the reconstruction currently means that the lock is closed for large parts of the day. Much traffic has had to pass through the lock at night, which has resulted in limitations in the availability of pilots.
I have informed myself about the current situation and the challenges for traffic on Mälaren. I know that Sjöfartsverket has a good and proactive dialogue with both the shipping industry and the affected ports so that the impact on Swedish business shall be as small as possible, even though the necessary work with the expansion of the lock in Södertälje continues.
Access to pilots has been a challenge for the Swedish Maritime Administration for many years. The Swedish Maritime Administration does what is possible so that the impact on shipping is as small as possible in the pilotage areas where there is a shortage of pilots. The fundamental problem has been that too few people now undergo the nautical training in Sweden and qualify as ship captains. To meet this changed reality, the Swedish Maritime Administration is now reviewing the possibilities of changing the requirements for qualification and practical experience so that more nauticians will have the opportunity to become pilots. This will hopefully, in the long run, broaden the recruitment base and thereby improve the availability of pilots for the Swedish Maritime Administration.
The Swedish Maritime Administration has also over several years investigated the conditions for so-called navigation support from land in order to thereby reduce the need for a pilot or enable the pilot to board a ship closer to the port. It is, however, a long way to go before technical aids can, wholly or partially, replace a pilot on the bridge all the way to the quay.
Lena Johansson (S)
Madam Speaker! Thank you, Minister, for the answer!
This is a question of decisive importance not only for us around Mälaren but actually for all of Sweden. But I have submitted the interpellation to the Minister regarding the problems with the pilotage operations in Mälaren and the consequences they have for the business sector, employment opportunities, and in the long run, the everyday lives of the local residents.
We have in recent years seen a development where the shortage of available pilots has led to major challenges for ships entering the Mälar ports, for example Västerås and Köping. This means that transports that are completely crucial for the industry do not arrive on time.
This affects many, and I want to give the Minister an example. Adjacent to Köping's deep-water port, there is a Yara-owned factory that produces nitric acid and ammonium nitrate with ammonia as a raw material. Yara invested 1.7 billion during 2019 in increased production capacity. The factory already had to scale back its operations during 2024, as Yara cannot receive raw materials or get products out via the port due to a shortage of pilots. During 2024, this happened twelve times. The situation has progressively worsened. The recurring problems risk continuing, in addition to the disruption caused by the reconstruction of the lock in Södertälje, which the Minister referred to in his answer.
The possibility of storing ammonia and ammonium nitrate is limited for safety reasons. This makes the time aspect for the supply of ammonia critical. When boat logistics do not function regularly, Yara is forced to reduce production and sometimes even stop work in the factory, which has a strongly negative impact on both the economy, energy supply, and the environment. A complete stop in the factory can lead to truly serious process reductions. Furthermore, they are a major supplier of waste heat to Köping Municipality.
Does it stop here, or is there more? Yes, there is more. At the same time, the Swedish Maritime Administration has recently decided to increase the pilotage fees, which further impairs the competitiveness of shipping, especially in Mälaren.
The result is that more companies are starting to consider moving transport from shipping to road and rail. It is completely the wrong way to go, I think. We know that the railway today is heavily burdened, with over 200 incidents reported daily, and the road network is already overutilized. Shifting freight from shipping only leads to increased emissions, more traffic problems, and poorer punctuality.
Does it stop there? No – I have not stated that it is also important that we have shipping running for the sake of preparedness. Shipping must function in normal times as well as in crisis and war. We need a holistic approach. This is about more than transport – it is about the entire region's vitality and preparedness.
How does the government view some form of holistic solution in this matter?
Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)
Madam Speaker! I want to begin by saying that I also see great potential in the transport that can take place by hull, in maritime transport. I also see a very great need to strengthen Swedish shipping and Swedish shipping's competitiveness, not least against the background of what Lena Johansson points out, namely Swedish preparedness. A strategic work is currently underway in the government.
We made a decision – I believe it was last week or the week before – regarding the bill concerning the stamp duty to contribute to more Swedish companies flagging their ships in Sweden. We are preparing the issue of a bareboat register and proposals to review the tonnage tax system. We also have a maritime coordinator at Trafikverket working on the government's assignment – much of it concerns inland waterway shipping.
I see a potential here, and it is also important to see the challenges and bottlenecks that exist. Lena Johansson points out exactly the shortage when it comes to access to pilots. It is a limitation with the few trained sea captains that we have in Sweden.
The Government has taken the initiative to promote the growth of Swedish maritime officers. Among other things, we decided during the spring of 2024 on regulatory changes to make it easier to become a ship officer class VII, this through a more flexible educational path. Furthermore, the Transport Agency has taken the initiative to make it simpler for seafarers who have shore duty, for example at a shipping office, to re-apply for a qualification as a sea captain. It will become more flexible.
At the department, we are looking, among other things, at the proposals for measures for strengthened skills supply within the maritime sector that the maritime industry proposed in a memorandum from Svensk Sjöfart which was received on 10 January. There is also a submission from Transportstyrelsen concerning qualification and training issues. It is on consultation until 28 March 2025.
When it comes to the supply of skills, the industry has a great responsibility. But these measures have already been taken by the government and the Transport Agency, as an authority. We must, with joint forces, increase the attractiveness of occupations within the maritime industries.
According to the industry, last year's recruitment fairs were a success. Several of them were carried out in collaboration with other actors, and the fairs are to be further developed this year. Last year, a clear increase in the number of applicants to the officer training could be seen. That is something positive. It is an important part of actually obtaining a capacity of officers who could also work as pilots. This is important because we, of course, need more Swedish ships but also more Swedish officers – seafaring people or seafarers, as it is called.
These are important parts. There are, like, no shortcuts here. We need to see how we can make the system more flexible. How can we, through regulatory changes and measures to increase attractiveness, work to get more pilots? That also takes advantage of the potential that exists to utilize shipping to a greater extent.
In the orientation document for the infrastructure bill, we have pointed out exactly the potential of shipping – and also the potential of aviation – when it comes to connecting the different modes of transport in a better way. When we look at measures for railway and road, it is also important to see what can be done to integrate those modes of transport with shipping. Are there routes that could actually be relieved by a strengthened domestic shipping?
The issue that the member points out is of course important not only for Mälaren but also for the whole of Sweden to function.
Lena Johansson (S)
Madam Speaker! Thank you, Minister, for the answer!
The government's statement does not help now. I want to express already now that we cannot make half-hearted efforts. There is a growing pressure from both municipalities and the business community in this issue. It is not only I, as a Member of Parliament, who is raising this.
In a joint letter to the government, Köping's municipal board chairman Per Ågren, Annika Duàn from Västra Mälardalens Energi & Miljö AB, and Anna Eriksson from Mälarhamnar AB have clearly pointed out what the consequences will be. They point out how the shortage of pilots means that ships cannot enter in time, which in turn leads to large production losses, higher costs, and poorer competitiveness. They also describe how increased pilotage fees risk becoming the so-called final blow for our shipping.
We must see this for what it is: a systemic crisis for a transport branch that we should be expanding and not dismantling, a threat to employment in our municipalities and a direct obstacle to the climate transition.
We have ports that have been expanded and modernized, in some cases with state investments. At the same time, it is a shortage of pilots that prevents the ships from arriving. It is a socio-economic paradox, I think. We have invested billions in the Mälar project. The state has invested 2.9. Mälarhamnar in Köping and Västerås have invested 1 billion. It is to throw the money into the lake if we do not get the shipping to work.
We can do a lot with long-term measures. That is very good. I give the Minister credit for making various interventions. But the problem also exists here and now. When it gets congested in Södertälje or out at Landsort, it is a problem.
I asked if there are digital solutions. The Minister of State said that it has taken a long time. This has been looked into, but it is far from possible right now. But one can only cross the river after the water, so to speak, and look at Finland. There, they have come much further in this issue. And they have the same, what shall we say, archipelago as we have. I think this is an important issue where we should be able to speed things up.
Several companies are already signaling that they are avoiding sending cargo into Mälaren because it is too unsafe. One can get stuck. It is a warning sign that the government cannot ignore, I think. Therefore, I repeat: What does the government intend to do concretely and promptly to rectify this? I have to say something to the municipal councilor Per Ågren when I return.
Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)
Madam Speaker! Who knows? The municipal council member might be following this debate with great interest. There are more who should do so. Thank you very much for the commitment, Lena Johansson!
One of the four issues that the member raised, Madam Speaker, concerned precisely attracting more people to the profession. At that point, I thought it was important to speak about the measures that the government has taken and about the positive signals that now exist regarding a clear increase in the number of applicants to the maritime officer training.
One can, just as Lena Johansson did initially, say that it does not help now. But that does not make it any less important to do what is right to achieve a better supply of skills within Swedish shipping. I agree that more could have been done during the last parliamentary term, when Lena Johansson's own party was responsible for the issues. But I will not stand and point fingers about that now.
Now it is important to get greater flexibility. This is achieved with the regulatory change regarding ship officers class VII. It is achieved through Transportstyrelsen's initiative so that it should be easier to return to sea service after having had shore duty, for example. In that case, competence that already exists is also utilized. That, I mean, Madam Speaker, can actually help the situation already now.
When it comes to navigation aids from land – or digital solutions, as the member formulates it in the question – it is something that has been analyzed and worked on for quite many years, also with research funding. An obvious question regarding this is what extensive investments are required.
Many have placed a trust that increased navigation support from land can reduce the costs for pilotage, but that is not certain. Navigation support from land entails large investment costs, both on ships and in and around the shipping lanes. In addition, it will continue to be required that pilots are available for all ports, at least the public ports. This means that double systems, both a digital and a manual one, may be required, which risks increasing the costs instead of reducing them.
It is of course important to keep an eye on that against the background that Lena Johansson describes, that is to say that the fees for pilots can be a factor that companies look at when they are to choose the type of traffic. It is therefore important to ensure that the technical aids that exist become as cost-effective as possible. In the long term, I believe that this can contribute to reducing the pilot shortage, but it will still be required that pilots are available.
The Swedish Maritime Administration's experience is that many want this, even if they have navigation with technical support on their own. In principle, almost all ships that do not have a special pilotage exemption want, when they come closer to port, the help of a pilot during berthing at the quay, because it requires specific knowledge of the individual port's conditions. It is of course important to see what experiences exist so far, so that one has the right expectations.
I am an optimist. I believe in technological development. I believe very much in digital solutions. But when we know that this could actually lead to even higher costs and that the intended purposes might not be achieved, it is of course important to also continue to approach the issue in a way that benefits Swedish shipping. That is my point, Madam Speaker.
Then there are the problems that exist regarding Mälaren specifically. The work in Södertälje is beginning to approach its end. When it is finished, traffic will be able to flow significantly better, and larger vessels will be able to navigate Mälaren. When Hjulstabron is then replaced – this is planned to begin in the early 2030s – the larger vessels will be able to sail furthest into Mälaren. This will make the situation easier. It is, of course, important that this happens as soon as possible.
Lena Johansson (S)
Madam Speaker! Thank you, Minister, for the answer!
When it comes to this matter of digital pilots, or what one should say, I have not seen any figures – the Minister of State has surely done so. On the other hand, I know that a boat that arrives contributes to job opportunities, growth, etcetera. Growth is something that we all wish for.
I have submitted a motion regarding the Hjulsta Bridge and truly hope that progress is made there – otherwise, we cannot have Mälarmax in Mälaren, and then everything falls apart.
I thank you for the debate and wish to conclude with an appeal to the Minister not to let this become an example of noting a problem but postponing the measures. I believe that action and political leadership are needed here, not just in the form of an inquiry or otherwise.
I want more transport on the water, not fewer. I want sustainable logistics, not increased emissions from trucks. I want secure jobs and strong companies throughout the country, and I want them at Mälaren and in Västmanland. I do not want empty industrial premises because the boats cannot enter the harbor.
Shipping in Mälaren is the key to regional development, climate transition, and the competitiveness of the business sector, and it naturally also concerns the issue of preparedness. Therefore, the pilotage operations must function, and the government must take that responsibility.
I will follow this question closely, and I hope it goes faster than I think right now. To be continued!
Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)
Madam Speaker! I am pleased to hear the commitment and the confidence in the government's work that nevertheless exists.
We are now pointing significantly more clearly than before at shipping in the work with the national planning for the long-term transport infrastructure. We have also in the near term taken several measures that strengthen the supply of skills and have made it more flexible.
I just said that the proposal from Transportstyrelsen is now on consultation until March 28. We have made changes for ship officers class VII. Transportstyrelsen is more flexible so that it will be easier to move between different positions in the shipping sector – for example, when one has worked in a shipping office, one can easily go back and work at sea, perhaps as a pilot in Mälaren. Such flexibility can have an effect already here and now, Madam Speaker.
I thank you for the commitment and am pleased with the consensus we have that it is possible to utilize Swedish shipping significantly better. We are already very dependent on it in foreign trade, but there is also very much more to be done when it comes to inland shipping. There, I share the member's commitment.
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.