Samskip is restructuring its multipurpose cargo and reefer services connecting the North Sea and Baltic ports to Norway, in a move that adds capacity, frequency and new port options.
Effective October 1, 2018, Samskip subsidiary Nor Lines will increase the number of vessels operating on its service connecting Baltic ports and Norway to four ships, each featuring a 50-tonne capacity heavy lift crane.
The four vessels will operate on two separate schedules: one service will connect northern Norway with German and Dutch ports and will focus on perishables and project cargoes; the second schedule will serve importers and exporters in in Danish and Polish ports, connecting with Western Norway in the Fredrikstad-Tromsø range, prioritising southbound calls for reefer/project cargo volumes.
Meanwhile, the Nor Lines’ multipurpose weekly liner service connecting the Netherlands to Western, Mid and Northern Norway will add a call at the Dutch port of Velsen. The addition of Velsen as the first Dutch call is expected to attract northbound palletised and project cargoes, said Samskip.
“Taken together, this revised service structure adds significant capacity and flexibility for those doing business in Norway, strengthening Nor Lines in the dry and project cargo, seafood and palletised segments,” said Caesar Luikenaar, Samskip trade director Norway.
“One major outcome is that Nor Lines will be calling at Klaipedia, Gdansk and Velsen on a regular basis,” explains Luikenaar, adding that Samskip will also offer calls at Cuxhaven and Eemshaven on inducement.
Elsewhere, Peter Döhle Schiffahrts (PDS) and NovaAlgoma Short Sea Carriers (NASC) have formed DNA Marine Holdings, with the aim of consolidating the multipurpose project vessel and mini-grabber dry bulk markets.
The multipurpose vessels will be managed by PDS’s existing commercial management office located in Hamburg, Germany while the bulkers will be managed from the NASC commercial office in Lugano, Switzerland.
While the business will be managed as two separate commercial fleets, the partners expect to exploit cargo synergies that exist across the multipurpose and bulker segments.
The joint venture is expected to begin operation in October and will comprise 26 vessels, including 13 multipurpose vessels and 13 mini-bulkers. NASC will contribute 12 vessels to the pools and PDS will contribute 14.
