CLdN has announced the launch of new services between Rotterdam and Ireland. CLdN has chartered two 962 TEU lift-on / lift-off (LoLo) cargo vessels (M/V Pavo J and M/V Andromeda J) that will ship container cargo between the recently acquired Distriport terminal in Rotterdam and Dublin and Cork.
The introduction of the new LoLo services will also enable an optimisation of CLdN’s roll-on / roll-off (RoRo) fleet deployment, thereby increasing capacity on the routes between Rotterdam and the UK.
The addition of the new services responds to high levels of customer demand to move freight between Ireland and mainland Europe. The two additional weekly LoLo sailings complement the three RoRo sailings operated by CLdN each week to and from Dublin. These RoRo services will continue to operate from CLdN’s RoRo terminal in Rotterdam. The LoLo service to Cork complements the existing RoRo service operated by CLdN from its Zeebrugge terminal. The new services will be operational as from the week commencing 18th March.
CLdN has grown its presence on the Irish trades significantly since the inception of its first cargo service to Ireland in 1999, with the most recent expansion being announced in December last year when an additional 3.5 hectares of terminal area were added in Dublin. Today, CLdN ships some 500,000 cargo units a year to and from Ireland, making it the largest mover of ferry freight between Ireland and mainland Europe / Great Britain. Following the addition of the new lines, CLdN will operate the following Irish services in each direction every week:
- Rotterdam ⟷ Dublin : 5 sailings
- Rotterdam ⟷ Cork : 1 sailing
- Zeebrugge ⟷ Dublin : 2 sailings
- Zeebrugge ⟷ Cork : 2 sailings
- Santander ⟷ Dublin : 2 sailings
- Liverpool ⟷ Dublin : 20 sailings
- Heysham ⟷ Dublin : 6 sailings
In addition to the above direct sailings, CLdN offers extensive transhipment possibilities to the East coast of England (London, Killingholme and Teesport), Spain, Portugal, Denmark and Sweden. CLdN also operates 11 weekly sailings between Heysham (GB) and Warrenpoint (Northern Ireland).
Commenting on the additional capacity, Florent Maes, CEO of CLdN, said: “The addition of these services is a direct benefit of the recent Distriport acquisition and an example of CLdN’s ability to find innovative and timely solutions for its customers. The trade flows between Ireland and mainland Europe are significant and CLdN is pleased to be able to further expand its offering in this area.