OPDR and X-Press Feeders start new route from the Port of Gothenburg
The German shipping company OPDR, in collaboration with X-Press Feeders, has established a new route from the Port of Gothenburg, the Port Authority said in a media release.
On December 5, the German shipping company Oldenburg-Portugiesische Dampfschiffs-Rhederei, OPDR, will make its first call at the Container Terminal, APM Terminals, at the Port of Gothenburg. Working in collaboration with the shipping company X-Press Feeders, they have established a joint freight service to the United Kingdom and Spain. The new service will include a weekly call at the Port of Gothenburg.
Martin Magnusson at Aseco, which is the agent for OPDR, said: "OPDR has confidence in the Scandinavian market and working in collaboration with X-Press Feeders it has now opted to call once a week at the Port of Gothenburg. The service will link into the strong OPDR network on the Iberian Peninsula, the Canary Islands and Morocco."
X-Press Feeders already uses the Port of Gothenburg whilst OPDR will be a completely new customer for the port.
Imports will be mainly fruit and other foodstuffs, wine, ceramics and tiles. Exports will comprise steel, paper and sawn timber.
"It is extremely pleasing that OPDR and X-Press Feeders have identified market potential between Sweden and Spain and that they have joined forces to focus on the Port of Gothenburg as a freight hub. Expanded traffic to Spain from the Port of Gothenburg is an important step for all companies that have commercial links between the two countries," said Magnus Kårestedt, Port of Gothenburg Chief Executive.
Around 2.3 million tonnes of freight pass between Spain and Sweden each year, of which half are transported by sea. The Port of Gothenburg has collaborated for a number of years with the Port of Bilbao with the aim of transferring more freight from road to sea.
6-day service
The route comprises Gothenburg– Rotterdam – Bilbao – Tilbury – Rotterdam – Aalborg – Gothenburg. A voyage from Gothenburg to Bilbao will take six days and from Bilbao to Gothenburg it will take seven days. The ships that are scheduled to operate on this route are Pantonio and WMS Groningen, each of which can carry around 700 containers.