There is a diverse portfolio of Ro-Ro operations that keep the wheels of European trade rolling, connecting islands and making short sea routes out of long inland alternatives. Despite complications from the UK’s Brexit, the Ro-Ro sector is thriving, with new investments in ports and vessel capacity.
Ireland’s south coast makes a good starting point for a microcosm of the European Ro-Ro and ferry scene. The almost interminable influence of the UK “Brexit” from the EU almost ten years ago has had mixed implications, notably for Irish ports. The formerly popular ‘land bridge’ route, connecting Ireland and continental Europe via the UK, has become administratively burdensome. Brexit has promoted a steady rise in direct traffic between Ireland (which remains an EU member) and continental Europe. Ro-Ro operator CLdN alone lays claim to over twenty weekly sailings between Ireland and their main continental hubs at Rotterdam and Zeebrugge.
More dramatically, Dublin Port – by far the biggest operation in Ireland – has secured EU funding of €73.8m from the “Connecting Europe Facility for Transport” programme. The cash will support a project to increase berth capacity to handle projected future demand for Ro-Ro freight. This, says the port, will meet the needs of economic growth, Ireland’s rising population, and the requirements of larger vessels (up to 240m) on direct services to Europe. Dublin Port says it already handles 83% of Ro-Ro freight and 72% of ferry volumes into Ireland.
Connecting Europe
The EU Connecting Europe Facility Transport programme (CET), from which Dublin is benefitting, is helping improvements at coastal and inland facilities on seas and rivers all over Europe. More than €1.8 billion in grants has been awarded through the CET scheme already, and some of the twenty port-based initiatives (in a list of around one hundred projects) are aimed at Ro-Ro facilities.
“Almost 90 per cent of the EU’s external freight trade is seaborne,” says a statement from the European Commission, the executive arm of the EU. “Short sea shipping represents one-third of intra-EU exchanges in terms of tonne-kilometres.” Examples include Malta’s Limassol port, which will receive funding of more than €1m for onshore power supply infrastructure for cargo purposes. Gijón in Spain will benefit from a €2.6m grant for similar shore power supply infrastructure. In northern Spain, Santander will get €3.5m to upgrade Ro-Ro handling at the port’s dedicated terminal, where two berths already serve eight regular carriers.
“The Connecting Europe Facility for Transport’s focus is on fostering a transport network that is efficient, safe, interconnected and green,” says a European Commission statement. “By addressing key challenges and supporting innovative solutions, it aims to meet the evolving needs and expectations for a modern and sustainable transport infrastructure in Europe.”
Emerald Isle’s Green Corridor
Dublin has a further initiative, a “Green Corridor”, zero-emission shipping route between Dublin and Holyhead, Wales. That project has attracted financial backing from the UK-led International Green Corridor Fund. A green shipping corridor, as designated by the funding, is a route between two or more ports upon which a zero-emission vessel operates.
The initiative is a collaboration between the ports of Dublin and Holyhead, along with operators Irish Ferries and Stena Line. It’s supported by the environmental consultancy Ricardo, Maynooth University and EDF.
One of the major challenges for the ferry sector and the wider shipping industry is the emergence of multiple possible alternative fuel options, each with different requirements in relation to vessels, land use, electricity supply and other factors. This will compare e-methanol to other candidate fuels, with findings due this year.
Fleet expansions
Despite Brexit, Britain does remain a significant trading partner with neighbouring Europe. As recently as February of this year, CLdN announced an increase in frequency and freight capacity on its Zeebrugge, Belgium -Teesport, North East England route. Growing demand has prompted the commercial decision, which the carrier says will provide capacity for inland shipping to northern parts of the UK. CLdN said at the time that the improved availability would be achieved by an additional round trip sailing per week and by deploying higher capacity ships on the route.
The Luxembourg-based CLdN is engaged in an expansion of its core short sea and logistics business. “The addition of two very large Ro-Ro newbuilds to CLdN’s extensive and modern fleet later this year, allows for this rapid response to customer requirements,” says a company statement. “This fleet expansion also further enhances CLdN’s ability to ship unaccompanied freight across the North Sea with lower CO2 emissions than any of its competitors.”
CLdN has quietly built up a network of Ro-Ro freight connections between mainland Europe and the East Coast of the UK. From Zeebrugge, cargo including unaccompanied trailers, can be deposited at a central terminal hub and shipped to any one of CLdN’s east coast terminals, at Purfleet near London, Killingholme (Humberside) and Teesport. “CLdN continues to invest heavily in both its fleet and port infrastructure,” said Florent Maes, CEO of CLdN. “We are glad to see increased customer support for our freight routes from Zeebrugge to East Coast UK.”
Short sea long distance
Finnlines, the Helsinki-headquartered shipping operator that is part of the Grimaldi Group, began services back in September on a new trade route that defies the designation of short sea. The sailings cover a route that includes port calls in Helsinki and Kotka in Finland, to Bilbao and Vigo in Spain, by way of Antwerp, Zeebrugge and Sheerness in the UK (operated as London Medway by Peel Ports).
Emphasising the dynamic Ro-Ro market, Swedish operator Wallenius SOL has acquired its British counterpart Mann Lines, which provides liner, Ro-Ro and container transport, as well as logistics and forwarding services. The Gothenburg headquartered owners said that the acquisition of Mann Lines will enable it to add approximately 200 new clients to its existing base of business due to “minimal customer overlap”.
Based in Harwich, on the southern bank of the Irwell River, just opposite Felixstowe, Mann Lines transports Ro-Ro cargo between the UK, the Continent, the Baltic States, and Scandinavia, handling approximately 500,000 tonnes of cargo annually. There are no immediate plans for the Mann Lines brand to disappear. Wallenius SOL told our online news service WorldCargoNews.com that the deal will add Mann Lines ConRo/Ro-Ro vessel to the company’s fleet. The eight-year-old ML Freyja has a lane length of 2850m, and room for loading 210 trailers. An inventory of 500 units of equipment, seven local offices and around 50 employees have also moved as part of the deal.
“This acquisition will result in an expanded port network stretching from the Baltic countries to North West Europe,” says Elvir Dzanic, CEO of Wallenius SOL. “With Mann Lines knowledge and years of experience operating container services in Northern Europe, we are well-equipped to deliver even greater value to the industries and communities we serve.” The ML Freyja cruises at 22 knots.
Hybrid fleet for Finnlines
Finnlines has commissioned three identical hybrid vessels, designated Finneco class. Built in Nanjing, China, the vessels have A1 Super ICE designation and are 238m in length with a cargo capacity of 5,800 lane metres, equivalent to around 400 trailers.
Of all the ports on the route, Sheerness in England is making the most alterations to accommodate the vessels. Scheduled to begin about now, work is underway to revamp the existing infrastructure and install a new pontoon. The new berth is expected to be operational by this summer.
According to Peel Ports, who manage Sheerness, the development of a new Ro-Ro berth will provide customers with faster and more efficient loading and unloading operations. “Sheerness plays a hugely important role in the handling and processing of a broad range of commodities,” explained Richard Goffin, the Port Director for Peel Ports London Medway and Great Yarmouth (another facility on the east coast of England). “This £30 million project not only shows our ambition to grow our offering to a range of industries, it also represents the next stage of significant investment into the port’s infrastructure which will bolster our position as a leader in handling Ro-Ro vessels.” Peel further says they have ambitions to deliver a rail connection at Sheerness, by installing infrastructure to the main port estate via an existing rail bridge.
Connecting North Africa
In November 2024, DFDS set sail with a new freight ferry service, connecting southern Europe with North Africa. DFDS is integrating Egypt into its service network for the first time and launching the first freight ferry service between these markets in around a decade. “The establishment of a reliable and efficient connection, between Damietta in Egypt and [the Adriatic port of] Trieste in Italy will support the trade flows between North Africa and Europe,” stated the carrier. The new route is aimed at two-way trade in fresh produce (mainly vegetables and fruits), alongside textiles and other goods from Egypt to Europe, and various goods such as dairy, agricultural and industrial products from Europe to Egypt.
“The new route aligns perfectly with our commitment to organic growth and solidifies our strong presence in the Mediterranean region,” said Mathieu Girardin, Head of the Ferry Division at DFDS. “The service not only expands our network but also enhances our ability to connect communities and support local economies opening up opportunities for trade and stronger economic ties between the two countries.” The service is operating on a weekly schedule, with a sailing time of approximately 68 hours. DFDS has entered into a partnership with Egyptian shipping and logistics operator Pan Marine Shipping Services.
Spain to the Netherlands
DFDS will start another new freight route commencing next month (May) with a service between Spain and the Netherlands. The weekly service is aimed at freight forwarders, project cargo owners and industrial customers. Of the latter, the global aluminium and energy company, Hydro, has signed an agreement for a weekly shipment of aluminium.
“This new route offers significant potential, which we believe will benefit the broader market and aligns perfectly with our focus on organic growth,” said Mathieu Girardin. “With Hydro, we are enhancing their supply chain with improved connections to and from Northern Europe and Iberia.”
The Ro-Ro solution rolls aluminium products bound for customers onto cargo ships, say DFDS, eliminating the need for cranes and reducing safety risks from hanging loads. It also increases efficiency by cutting loading time in half, allowing ships to reduce speed and still deliver on time. DFDS will operate their vessel Belgia Seaways on the route with a capacity of 2660 lane metres.
Klaipėda on the rise
In the Baltic, a rising star is the Port of Klaipėda in Lithuania. As reported in January, Klaipėda wound up 2024 with 35.5m tonnes of cargo handled. That is an 8% rise year-on-year.
The port secured a 39% market share among Baltic ports. Domestic infrastructure projects catapulted the handling of construction materials and minerals, which nearly doubled to 2.07m tonnes in 2024.
However, for long-term growth, Ro-Ro is the cargo to watch. Tonnage increased by 16% to 852,000 tonnes – a fraction behind intermodal cargo at 859,000 tonnes (a 9% growth). Ro-Ro callers include DFDS, with services connecting Klaipėda with ports in Germany, Sweden, and Denmark. TT-Line operates a route between Trelleborg and Klaipėda, connecting another important hub in the southern Baltic Sea with Klaipėda.
*This article first appeared in the April print issue of WorldCargo News
