On Monday, March 17, the first reefer container with flowers was transported by rail in Kenya. This trial shipment is a milestone in the development of the Cool Logistics Corridor in Kenya and demonstrates the potential of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) for the transport of fresh produce to the port of Mombasa.
Kenyan and Dutch collaboration
The first trial shipment coincided with the State Visit of His Majesty King Willem-Alexander and Her Majesty Queen Máxima to Kenya. This trial shipment is the result of a collaboration between various parties in Kenya and the Netherlands, including Nini (flower grower), Dutch Flower Group (flower importer and exporter), Maersk (shipping line and integrated logistics provider), Kenya Railways Corporation (rail operator), and Kenya Ports Authority (terminal operator). The container departed on Monday, March 17, from the Naivasha Inland Container Depot, successfully arrived the same day at the port of Mombasa, and is destined for the port of Rotterdam. A sea freight container can hold about 320,000 to 400,000 roses, depending on the type of rose.
The trial shipment was supported by Invest International, the Flying Swans, and the Dutch Embassy, and is part of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Kenyan and Dutch governments on developing a Cool Logistics Corridor. “This first trial shipment marks the strong collaboration between the Netherlands and Kenya in agro-logistics and showcases the efforts from companies in both countries to adopt transport via sea freight as an additional mode of transport to air freight,” says Henk Jan Bakker, Ambassador of the Netherlands to Kenya.
Potential of SGR to support the transportation of fresh produce by sea
Kenya exports a significant amount of horticultural produce to the Netherlands, including cut flowers, fruits, and vegetables. Most of the flowers are transported by air as this is a quicker form of transportation. However, sea freight as an alternative can decrease costs and reduce the environmental footprint.
“By transporting flowers by sea in containers, we are able to achieve a reduction of our CO2-equivalent emissions by 80 to 90% compared to air transport, depending on locations. This trial shipment gives us insight into the potential of rail transport in Kenya as a sustainable and efficient alternative, also for truck transport to the port of Mombasa,” says Jan van Dam, CEO of Dutch Flower Group.
Naivasha ICD location for first shipment
The Inland Container Depot (ICD) at Naivasha is about 572 km west of the port of Mombasa and 120 km from Nairobi on the Mombasa–Nairobi–Naivasha SGR route. It is a key location on the Northern Corridor as an interchange of the SGR and the Metre Gauge Railway (MGR), which connects further to Uganda. The ICD has been operating since December 2019 and is close to the Naivasha production areas for flowers, fruits, and vegetables. “Naivasha ICD is ready for facilitating the transport of reefer containers by rail, with reefer plug-in points being installed at the ICD, and all Kenyan authorities present to clear cargo already at Naivasha ICD instead of in the Mombasa Port,” says Capt. William Ruto, Managing Director of Kenya Ports Authority.
The Naivasha Consolidation Centre, which is being developed with funding from Invest International and the expertise of Flying Swans, is to be located at the Naivasha ICD. Given the need for consolidation of flowers, the consolidation center will be a catalyst for the transition to an integrated rail-and-sea freight system for perishable products. Flowers, fruit, and vegetables can be directly transported by SGR to the port of Mombasa without pre-transport of the reefer container by truck.
