Samskip and Boluda Lines have announced that it will jointly launch shortsea container services connecting Santander, Dublin and Liverpool.
The combined service, which begins on 30 September, reportedly provides a new weekly Spain-Ireland-UK shortsea option for unitised cargoes that is extremely cost competitive with road-ferry alternatives, while also giving improved dependability and significantly decreasing CO2 emissions per tonne mile.
According to reports, the new route offers a three-day transit time to Dublin, with visits at Liverpool’s Royal Seaforth Container Terminal scheduled two days later, before the ship’s southbound cruise to Spain.
Cargoes can be moved in owners’ vast variety of containers, including 45 feet high cubes, reefers, and flatracks, or in shippers’ own equipment, with door-to-door and quay-to-quay services available.
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The focus point for activities in northern Spain will be Boluda Maritime Terminals Santander, which is positioned to provide linkages to Ireland and the UK, is competitive against other nearby ports.
Boluda plans to open the new facility in April 2023, following a terminal investment of almost €40 million ($42 million), with an expected capacity of approximately 110,000 TEU per year.
Samskip and Boluda Lines intend to maximise Santander’s operational, sustainability and market penetration potential by simultaneously launching block train rail services to/from Madrid and Seville.
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Ignacio Boluda Ceballos, Vice Chairman of Boluda Shipping, said: “We are delighted to initiate this new journey with our partner Samskip, creating the alliance of two leaders in the intra-European transport.
“In this new project, we will connect Santander with the UK and Ireland, offering an innovative solution for our clients, emphasizing efficiency and sustainability across all modes of transportation; rail, land, and maritime.”
Kari-Pekka Laaksonen, Samskip CEO, stated: “Having a reliable service to the Spanish market has been on the drawing board for Samskip for a long time.
“It is very exciting to take this step together with our partner Boluda Shipping, who has a proven track record of successful services in Spain. This allows us to further expand our sustainable multimodal network to one of the main European short-sea markets. We are thrilled to join this journey.”