Rhenus Maritime Services (RMS) and the shipping company Wessels Reederei have launched a close cooperation arrangement with immediate effect. The goal is to place the technical management of the RMS fleet in the hands of Wessels Reederei in the near future. The fleet currently consists of 15 coastal vessels with a DWAT ranging between 1,700 and 3,300 tonnes.
All the administrative tasks at Rhenus Maritime Services, which has its headquarters in Duisburg, were transferred to Wessels Reederei in Haren an der Ems at the end of 2017.
"We’re hoping for further economic benefits through the cooperation of our two shipping companies in the extremely competitive business of coastal shipping," says Ralf Uebachs, Managing Director of Rhenus Maritime Services, commenting on the cooperation arrangement.
Wessels Reederei, which has been gathering experience in the shipping world since 1912, was also selected because of its innovative developments in the field of wind-supported drive systems. The shipping company is currently the first to have modified a 1,000 TEU container vessel from a traditional marine diesel power unit to one driven by environmentally-friendly LNG.
"We’re delighted to have been able to gain such an innovative partner for our fleet’s ship management operations," says Ralf Uebachs with a real sense of conviction, "and we’re certain that the two companies will press ahead with energy-saving technologies even more successfully as they work together."
"It’ll be possible to improve cost structures – for example when purchasing and overhauling spare parts – as well as insurance services with the fleet that is now available," Gerd Wessels, Managing Partner of Wessels Reederei, adds.
The Rhenus Group is a logistics services provider with global business operations and an annual turnover of EUR 4.8 billion. Rhenus has business sites at over 580 locations worldwide and employs more than 28,000 people. The Rhenus business areas – Contract Logistics, Freight Logistics, Port Logistics and Public Transport – manage complex supply chains and provide a wealth of innovative value-added services.
Source: Rhenus Maritime Services