In the fall, as the high season resumes for fruit and vegetable growers in Almeria, shipping company Ceiling Antwerp will launch a new service that will connect the port of Almeria with Portsmouth and Zebrak.
Two vessels will be docked for this short-distance connection, which can load up to 280 semi-trailers without a driver. The majority of those trailers could be attached to temperature-controlled transportation, shipping company spokesman Dirk Kayes told the conference at a conference on ‘short-sea shipping and the sustainability of the Port of Almeria’.
Ceiling Antwerp wants the United Kingdom ship to depart Almeria at 10pm on Monday and serve the London and Manchester markets to sail in Portsmouth on Thursday. “The choice for Portsmouth was triggered by the short distance between southern Spain and the United Kingdom, but the easy connection to the motorway system and, in addition, the professional storage space at the port. The road link with London and Manchester is less congested.”
For Zebrax, Gays emphasized good communication with the European mainland via road, domestic shipping, and rail. This service is available in Almeria. Operated by Ronco & Xia, he will act as a shipping agent, with Citrans Maritime in other parts of Spain and Ceilingal in the UK and Belgium.
The conference stressed the opportunities that the narrow sea vessel could provide to exporters of fruits and vegetables from Almeria. “We are really working on a link that will allow us to ship seafood and fruits and vegetables from Almeria to various European markets in the future,” said Jesus Caeseto, head of the Port Authority of Almeria.
Jose Antonio Costa, head of the port’s business department, added: “We study weekly liaison with the United Kingdom, but we also operate a service in the French port of Chateau, which is well connected with others from Europe.”
Source: elmercantil.com
