DP World has formally launched its dedicated “Atlas” refrigerated container shipping route. Named for the perennially snow-capped North African mountain range, Atlas will connect the major Moroccan fresh produce hub of Agadir with Europe.
The Atlas service will offer a new scale of sustainable and reliable transportation, and an alternative to the long-dominant, and very long-distance, trucking route. Billed as a full end-to-end logistics solution, the reefer service directly links Agadir and Casablanca to DP World-owned terminals at London Gateway and Antwerp Gateway.
Beginning in November 2025, the Atlas service will deploy two dedicated vessels from the DP World shipping subsidiary, Unifeeder. The vessels will operate on a fixed, twice weekly service linking Agadir, London Gateway, Antwerp Gateway, and Casablanca. Transit time northbound is five days, which DP World says compares to 5-6 days by truck with two drivers, or 6-7 days with a single driver.
The initiative signals DP World’s commercial intention to capture a substantial share of the burgeoning Moroccan fresh produce export market. Morocco exports over 6.5mt of fruit and vegetables annually to Western Europe, with volumes growing at over 20%, year-on-year, a pace accelerated by trade agreements and supportive policies.
Converting trucking to shipping
The core of the Atlas service will convert the transport of up to 150,000t of fresh produce from road to sea each year. A key cargo is blueberries. Morocco has become the largest exporter of blueberries to the UK, with a volume of 19,000t between July 2024 and June 2025. Using container shipping exporters will, DP World claims, result in higher quality produce reaching retailers and consumers by reducing risks and bypassing the frequently congested choke points at the Tangier-Algeciras and Calais-Dover ferry crossings.
The environmental benefit of the new service will reduce emissions by up to 250kg CO2 /ton-km, equating to a 70% reduction compared to traditional trucking. “We are launching a bespoke solution from Morocco to the UK and the Continent,” said Rashid Abdulla, MD and CEO of DP World Europe. “The key elements of this service, reliability, fast transit times and modern IT platform, will provide exporters and retailers with a viable alternative to the current transportation by truck and ensure improved quality produce at lower cost with significantly reduced carbon emissions.”
New reefer and dry containers
To underpin the quality guarantee, says DP World, the company has acquired a fleet of 1,250 brand new, modern reefers specifically for this trade. WorldCargo News believes the containers are leased through CAI.
Beyond the chilled cargo, Atlas services will also accommodate general cargo flows. For that commercial proposition, DP World has procured a further fleet of 1,000 40-foot high cube and 750 20-foot dry containers to satisfy growing demand between Northern Europe, the UK and Morocco.
Unifeeder’s expertise in shortsea logistics is central to ensuring the high-frequency, reliable service demanded by the perishable goods market. The entire end-to-end supply chain will also be digitally visible through DP World’s unique CARGOES digital platform, providing exporters and retailers with real-time tracking and supply chain certainty.
Sustainability focus
Markus Rodatz, Chief Operating Officer, Freight Europe, at DP World, stated the company’s commitment to sustainability. “We are building smarter, more sustainable and more resilient supply chains,” he said. “The new service gives growers and retailers the confidence that their produce will arrive fresher, faster and in peak condition, while cutting emissions by 70%. By investing in this Morocco to UK and the Continent [route], we are making trade flow and helping our customers meet their sustainability goals.”
Trade and geopolitical stability
The selection of Agadir as the service’s primary African hub underscores the city’s growing importance as a key economic gateway for Southern Morocco. The port provides multi-purpose and specialised facilities essential for the regional economy, including cold chain infrastructure.
Port operations in Agadir are managed by Marsa Maroc, the national port operator since 2006. Marsa Maroc currently operates two key facilities at the Port of Agadir: a Multipurpose Terminal handling bulk and general cargo, and a Cold Chain Terminal specialising in temperature-sensitive goods, both of which collectively manage over 3mt of cargo annually. The company’s acquisition of full ownership of the Société de Manutention d’Agadir in July 2024 further consolidated operational control and aimed to enhance synergies, particularly for multipurpose and cold chain cargoes.
The significance of the Atlas service extends beyond logistics and commerce. The formal launch ceremony in Agadir in September drew significant media coverage, with national and local Moroccan TV stations covering the event and promoting the project’s importance to the national economy and commercial growers.
The new trade route strengthens direct economic ties between Morocco’s southern regions and Europe. The desert region just south of Agadir is a disputed territory with a long-standing separatist movement.
The establishment of this major, high-value trade artery raises a pertinent question for the long-term outlook of the region. The furthering of robust economic dependencies and the strengthening of commercial links with Europe may foster greater stability and prosperity. Equally, they could heighten economic focus on this region leading to new geopolitical dynamics. By embedding the region’s produce into European supply chains, the Atlas service could be more than reefer shipping route. It could cool tensions in the region too.
*This story first appeared in the October print issue of WorldCargo News