New Owners of Seatruck, CLdN to Expand Ro-Ro Freight Capacity Between Spain, Ireland & Britain

14th December 2022

CLdN announced an expansion of ro-ro freight capacity on its Spain-Ireland and Ireland-UK routes which is to take place next year in January. The Luxembourg based shipping company which also acquired Irish Sea operator Seatruck in the Autumn, has since been reflected with CLdN's funnel livery applied to the Seatruck Performance. Credit: seatruckferries-facebook

Compagnie Luxembourgouise de Navigation (CLdN) which acquired Irish Sea freight-only specialist Seatruck Ferries in recent months, has announced further improvements to be introduced early in 2023 with capacity to be expanded on its Spain-Ireland-UK routes of Santander-Dublin and Dublin-Liverpool.

In January a new twice-weekly schedule from Santander to Dublin will double freight capacity on the Iberian-Ireland service, in line with growing demand. From that month, Spanish cargo for the UK market will be transhipped in Dublin Port onto the Seatruck Ferries regular Irish Sea shuttle service to Liverpool.

To enable these transhipments but also to accommodate growing market demand, Seatruck Ferries are at the same time deploying an extra ro-ro freight vessel, Seatruck Pennant onto their Dublin - Liverpool route.

This change will benefit customers using both services with increased capacity, simplified customs procedures and logical through shipment options.

According to the CLdN, thanks to a very low carbon footprint of the combined unaccompanied ro-ro fleet (~37 g/ton_km in 2021), shipping with the Luxembourg based operator and Seatruck Ferries is a much greener solution compared with landbridge or road transport. As end customers demand more sustainable shipping solutions the importance of longer sea crossings which reduce road mileage will become ever more important.

Florent Maes CEO CLdN commented: "The recent acquisition of Seatruck Ferries allowed us to make use of the synergies of both networks and we can now double frequency from the Iberian Peninsula to both Ireland and the UK by dividing the triangle service into two separate services. Since the Seatruck terminal in Dublin will be adjacent to CLdN’s as from late January 2023, we can make use of this unique position, which will be seamlessly connecting Dublin to and from Liverpool. Increased frequency will result in a big advantage for our customers, it will result in quicker turnaround times of their assets, and they will be able to deliver cargo more flexibly throughout the week".

He added "We are continuously looking for ways to improve the service to our customers and are excited about the future potential that we now have with our Irish services, since the acquisition of Seatruck Ferries”.

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Jehan Ashmore

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Jehan Ashmore is a marine correspondent, researcher and photographer, specialising in Irish ports, shipping and the ferry sector serving the UK and directly to mainland Europe. Jehan also occasionally writes a column, 'Maritime' Dalkey for the (Dalkey Community Council Newsletter) in addition to contributing to UK marine periodicals.

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Irish Sea Ferry Routes

Irrespective of the type of vessel deployed on Irish Sea routes (between 2-9 hours), it is the ferry companies that keep the wheels of industry moving as freight vehicles literally (roll-on and roll-off) ships coupled with motoring tourists and the humble 'foot' passenger transported 363 days a year.

As such the exclusive freight-only operators provide important trading routes between Ireland and the UK, where the freight haulage customer is 'king' to generating year-round revenue to the ferry operator. However, custom built tonnage entering service in recent years has exceeded the level of capacity of the Irish Sea in certain quarters of the freight market.

A prime example of the necessity for trade in which we consumers often expect daily, though arguably question how it reached our shores, is the delivery of just in time perishable products to fill our supermarket shelves.

A visual manifestation of this is the arrival every morning and evening into our main ports, where a combination of ferries, ro-pax vessels and fast-craft all descend at the same time. In essence this a marine version to our road-based rush hour traffic going in and out along the commuter belts.

Across the Celtic Sea, the ferry scene coverage is also about those overnight direct ferry routes from Ireland connecting the north-western French ports in Brittany and Normandy.

Due to the seasonality of these routes to Europe, the ferry scene may be in the majority running between February to November, however by no means does this lessen operator competition.

Noting there have been plans over the years to run a direct Irish –Iberian ferry service, which would open up existing and develop new freight markets. Should a direct service open, it would bring new opportunities also for holidaymakers, where Spain is the most visited country in the EU visited by Irish holidaymakers ... heading for the sun!