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Finnlines to launch Sheerness service

[ September 13, 2024   //   ]

Grimaldi’s Finnlines arm is to launch a freight ro ro service from Finland to the port of Sheerness London Medway.

The service will be operated by three Finneco-class hybrid ro-ro vessels, each with a cargo capacity of 5,800 lane metres, equivalent to around 400 trailers. They can load cargo up to a height of 7 metres.

The vessels are equipped with air lubrication, a high-powered battery bank and solar panels.

The southbound route operates Helsinki / Kotka–Sheerness–Antwerp or Zeebrügge–Bilbao or Vigo. The northbound rotation is: Bilbao or Vigo–Zeebrügge / Antwerp–Hanko–Helsinki or Kotka.

The route also offers access to the Finnlines and the Grimaldi Group network via Zeebrügge and Antwerp.

London Medway, part of Peel Ports, has a rail link and direct access to the motorway to London and the rest of the UK. The terminal is equipped to handle cargo including automotive, steel, wood, forestry and project freight.

Finnlines’ commercial director, Merja Kallio-Mannila, said: “The launch of our new service from Sheerness secures an important trade route between England and the Continent, further solidifying our position in the market.”

Richard Goffin, port director for Peel Ports Group, London Medway added: “We expect this new service will be popular with both established and emerging markets, which are seeing strong growth in the South-East of the UK, and in particular forest products which are in high demand. London Medway also handles a vast array of cargo including automotive, steel and ro-ro, so we expect a wide variety of commodities to be transported on Finnlines’ versatile fleet, placing the port as a key interchange between Scandinavia and Iberian markets.”

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