MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, through its freight operator Medway in Iberia, has announced it will make a significant investment in the construction of Portugal’s largest dry port as it looks to address the growing needs of exporters and shippers in the north of the country.
The new freight railway station at Lousado, Portugal, will serve the second largest economic region in the country through direct connections to the port of Sines.
Furthermore, the new container terminal will have a storage capacity of 10,000 TEUs and will be approximately 200,000 sqm in size.
Credit: MSC
Its six rail lines will serve 12 to 14 trains per day and will increase the use of electric railways compared to road, and therefore have a positive impact on CO2 emissions.
As well as that, the new terminal will be connected to the national rail network and the main corridors in and out of the Port of Sines, which MSC will make for greater connectivity to and from the Iberian Peninsula and the rest of Europe.
A recent Port Technology technical paper looked at smart port and technology investment
Construction, MSC says, will begin once all the required licenses have been approved and is expected to be operational by March 2020.
Once up and running, the new terminal will be equipped with modern, state-of-art lifting machinery.
Speaking about the announcement, Giuseppe Prudente, MSC’s Chief Logistics Officer, said: “We are very pleased to implement this new agreement, which will lead to the construction of what will be the largest dry terminal in the Iberian Peninsula.
“Using the latest-generation technology, this will be among the most modern dry terminals in the world and the answer to the logistics needs of local companies, making exports and imports easier and thus contributing to the region's prosperity.
“At the same time, this is a demonstration of our commitment to become more efficient and sustainable, providing the service that our customers need, every day.”
