Port of Gothenburg announced the launch of a new direct RoRo (Roll-On/Roll-Off) service connecting the Port of Gothenburg with key ports in China via Singapore. The new service calls at Singapore and the three Chinese ports of Xinsha, Tianjin, and Shanghai.
The shipping company COSCO Shipping Specialized Carriers is responsible for the service, which will initially operate once a month.
The cargo consists mainly of vehicles, but the newly built ships, powered by LNG, are also designed to handle project cargo.
“The bulk of the cargo consists of Swedish export cars destined for the Asian market, but the import market for Chinese cars and heavy vehicles to Scandinavia is also growing,” the port says.
COSCO Shipping is also targeting other types of cargo, which the business sees as having a high potential for filling its vessels.
Photo credit: Port of Gothenburg
Erik Lund Eriksen, partner director at COSCO Shipping Lines Nordic, highlighted the fact that “Gothenburg is an important automotive hub in northern Europe, but until now has lacked a direct RoRo connection to Asia.”
The new shipping route is served by vessels from COSCO Shipping’s latest series, which was launched earlier this year.
The new vessels are reportedly 199.9 meters long and 38 meters wide, with 13 decks and space for 7,500 vehicles.
Four of the decks are height-adjustable, which means they can transport a wide variety of cargo, such as high and heavy cargo and more unusual, bulky project loads in addition to cars.
Richard Mellgren, senior business development manager at the Port of Gothenburg, said: “A direct RoRo line to Asia is a fantastic addition to the port’s overall offering which really strengthens both the port’s and our customers’ competitiveness.”
