Sjöbloms has been a leading player in the infrastructure and industrial sectors since 1960, when the family-owned company began transporting timber with horse and tractor.
Based in Jakobstad, the company has developed a broad portfolio of services ranging from material handling in industry and infrastructure construction to recycling. The core values of safety, sustainability, and reliability drive the company to always deliver top-class services.
Sjöblom is a long-term and reliable partner for the industries at Alholmen Industrial Park. Sjöblom is appreciated by its partners for its extensive machinery, proactive approach, and customized logistics solutions. Sjöblom is certified according to ISO 14001:2015, which means they adhere to strict environmental standards in all their projects.
For several years, Sjöblom has strived to minimize environmental impact by using renewable fuels and implementing energy-efficient methods in their processes. For several years now, 50% of the fuel used in their machines has been renewable biofuel.
Sjöblom, a Pioneering Industrial Partner
Sjöblom has invested in an electric wheel loader that is now being put into operation at Alholmens Kraft in Jakobstad.
-“It is the first heavy electric wheel loader in Finland,” says Matts Sjöblom, CEO of Sjöblom Group Ab. “Those that have existed so far have been under seven tons. Electric wheel loaders of this size class, apart from this one, only exist in Sweden and a few in Norway,” adds Sjöblom.
The electric wheel loader is a quiet and modern 21-ton machine of the LiuGong 856HE brand. The machine is equipped with a 423 kWh lithium battery and has a runtime of 11 hours. The charging time is 3.5 hours. The battery warranty is 10,000 hours, but that does not determine the machine’s usage time. The battery can be replaced when its capacity deteriorates.
-“We will test to optimize usage and charging times, also so that it charges during breaks,” says Matts Sjöblom.
The electric wheel loader will save about 100,000 liters of fuel in operation per year in the work it will perform by transporting biofuel into AK’s bio-power plant. Björn Åkerlund, CEO of Alholmens Kraft Ab, estimates that just over half of all biofuel that AK uses in a year is shoveled in with electric wheel loaders. The rest is transported on conveyor belts directly from the forest industry’s integrator.
-“The new wheel loader will operate around the clock and annually handle 500,000 tons or just over a million cubic meters of biofuel to the power plant,” says Björn Åkerlund.
-“It’s great that Sjöblom has invested in the electric wheel loader and that AK gets to be involved in the development. It’s a concrete measure that fits perfectly with both Alholmen Kraft’s and Alholmen Industrial Park’s goals in the green transition,” says Åkerlund.
Matts Sjöblom adds that Alholmen Kraft is optimal for testing electric wheel loaders.
-“The area is small and concentrated, the machine is constantly in operation, and we found a safe place for charging together,” says Sjöblom.
Sjöblom maintains a continuous dialogue with its customers about environmentally friendly solutions. The modern machinery helps not only to meet customers’ sustainability goals but also supports the company’s own ambitions to conduct responsible business.
This is not the first electric work machine that Sjöblom operates at Alholmen. At UPM Alholmen’s sawmill, there has been an electric truck for some time. But it’s not just the fuel that affects the environment when handling heavy vehicles. The choice of tires plays a significant role as rubber particles come off when the tires wear. Therefore, Sjöbloms has also investigated and tested which tires wear the least and last the longest under heavy machinery for several years.
Focus on Sustainability
Material knowledge is a specialty that Sjöblom has learned through long experience with by-products from the forest and energy industries. The industries place high demands on sustainability, and Sjöblom’s pioneering working methods are appreciated.
Great benefit comes from the mobile crushers that Sjöblom uses at Alholmen. Among other things, old crushed asphalt is reused for new roads, and crushed concrete from demolition projects is reused for filling and as a base layer in new projects. The crushed material is cleaned of wood and iron and is a fully adequate material for several purposes. Industrial constructions are heavily reinforced and contain a lot of iron. The iron goes on to recycling, and the wood material is crushed to become energy at Alholmens Kraft. The ash from Alholmens Kraft is then used in soil construction, and the most nutrient-rich fly ash from AK1 is used for forest fertilization.
One of the latest projects where Sjöblom has been involved is Baltic Yachts‘ new production hall at Alholmen. Sjöblom was responsible for mass replacement under the hall, preparation of the foundation for concrete structures, and the construction of surface water and drainage systems. In the project, as far as possible, recycled masses from the AIP area were used.
Future Prospects
With over 60 years of experience and a strong sustainability profile, Sjöblom aims to continue being a key player at Alholmen Industrial Park in the future. The commitment to innovation and sustainability ensures that they are well-positioned to meet future challenges and opportunities.
-“Green in color, powered by green electricity, and transporting green biomass to the bio-power plant. That sums up our latest investment,” says a satisfied Matts Sjöblom.
