Wallenius Wilhelmsen and Bertel O. Steen develop vehicle processing centre in Drammen port

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Drammen port in Norway is to benefit from a new vehicle processing centre which is being built and will be operated by a joint venture between Wallenius Wilhelmsen and Bertel O. Steen.

Drammen port DJI_0336

The terminal at the front is where Wallenius Wilhelmsen and Bertel O. Steen will build their facility (image: Port of Drammen)

Wallenius Wilhelmsen is developing a new vehicle processing centre (VPC) at the port of Drammen in Norway with vehicle importer Bertel O. Steen. The VPC, which is scheduled to open in late 2027, will have annual capacity to process 45,000 finished vehicles.

Last year Drammen port imported around 116,500 finished vehicles (+10% on 2023), making its Norway’s biggest vehicle port.

The newbuild VPC will provide a full range of pre-delivery inspection services, including paintshop, anti-corrosion treatments, software upgrades, equipment assembly and accessorisation.

Wallenius Wilhelmsen said the facility will use state-of-the-art production planning and execution software to dramatically reduce production lead times and improve delivery accuracy. That includes optimised workshop processes aimed at greater efficiency and reduced lead times. The joint venture is currently testing out new software for the design and flow inside the VPC.

“We are excited to further expand our logistics footprint in the Nordics establishing a joint venture with Bertel O. Steen to build a state-of-the-art facility from the ground up,” said John Felitto, chief operating officer for logistics services at Wallenius Wilhelmsen.

“Bringing together our global processing competence and Bertel O. Steen’s market position and ambitions for the region just makes sense. For this to be our first dedicated logistics site in Norway, just a short drive from our head office, is particularly satisfying.”

The new VPC benefits from current expansion plans at the port of Drammen. “We are expanding the port with 30 new acres in 2025, and we will further expand it with 90 more acres in the years to come,” said a spokesperson for the port. “For us, this is an important part of meeting our customers’ needs and in meeting our goal of managing more than 90% of the car import volumes to Norway.”

Norway is the leading market for EV sales in Europe and in 2024 88.2% of the vehicles imported to Norway were electric, with Drammen port taking a 75% market share of the imported cars to the country. The top five brands by volume last year were Tesla, Volkswagen, Toyota, Volvo and Ford.

The port authority, Drammen Havn, has signed a long-term lease agreement with Wallenius Wilhelmsen and Bertil O. Steen, which will operate the VPC together.