Port of Helsingborg to digitise container release by March 2027

The Port of Helsingborg will go live with Secure Container Release (SCR) for loaded import containers on 31 March 2027, tying container pickup rights to verified driver identities and cutting out manually shared release references. Sweden's second-largest container port, handling roughly 400 container pickups a day, has partnered with Antwerp-based technology provider T-Mining to deliver the system.

The move matters commercially for every party in the chain. Ocean carriers will issue releases digitally. Freight forwarders will receive those rights and transfer them securely to transport companies. The transport company then assigns the pickup right to a named truck driver, creating a traceable chain of authorisation from shipping line to the person at the gate. No more PIN codes passed around by phone and email.

At the terminal's automated gate, the driver's identity and pickup authorisation will be checked against the digital release before handover. The design aims to reduce reliance on manually shared release information and shut down opportunities for unauthorised container collection.

What changes at the gate?

Under current practice, release references circulate across the logistics chain, a known security weak point. SCR replaces that with cryptographic handoffs: carrier to forwarder, forwarder to haulier, haulier to driver. The port frames this as the latest layer in an existing security stack that already includes a dedicated customs facility and Sweden's first permanent cargo scanner.

Helsingborg handles approximately 270,000 TEU by sea and 60,000 TEU by rail annually, serving shipping lines, freight forwarders and transport operators through road, rail and maritime connections. That scale gives the rollout weight beyond Sweden.

"Security is a shared responsibility across the entire logistics chain. At Port of Helsingborg, we continuously work to strengthen both physical and digital security, while making our processes more efficient for our customers. With SCR, we add another important layer of protection to the container release process. The close dialogue our commercial department is having with the shipping lines is key to making the transition secure and smooth for everyone involved," said Joakim Sandberg, CSO at Port of Helsingborg.

How proven is the technology?

T-Mining is not an untested vendor. The company said its SCR solution has managed more than five million container handovers since 2016, with deployments involving shipping lines and terminals internationally. The platform already runs at Antwerp-Bruges and Rotterdam, and T-Mining's network connects more than 8,000 logistics companies across over 25 countries.

"Since 2016, we've implemented Secure Container Release with leading carriers and terminals around the world, securing the handover of more than 5 million containers. We're proud to partner with the Port of Helsingborg to ensure the secure release of loaded import containers at the port," said Nico Wauters, CEO at T-Mining.

A phased rollout, and a standards push

Helsingborg will implement SCR in phases ahead of the full 31 March 2027 launch. Shipping lines calling at the port are being briefed first. Freight forwarders, transport companies and other stakeholders will get information and onboarding support before implementation.

The project also plugs into a broader standardisation effort. Through the Digital Container Shipping Association's (DCSA) DCSA+ programme, SCR works with shipping lines, ports and terminals to promote standards-based digital container releases, a signal that identity-linked release could become the European norm rather than a port-by-port experiment.

Forwarders and hauliers serving Scandinavian supply chains should expect onboarding demands well before the March 2027 deadline, as Helsingborg's carrier dialogue suggests the transition window is already open.