The new service will link the north-east UK port with Antwerp as well as Rotterdam. BG Freight already operates two weekly services between Rotterdam and Teesport and expects the direct service from Antwerp will prove especially popular. Frans Calje, Managing Director Unitised, PD Ports, says: “This is a growing market and the need for another service is both a vote of confidence in PD Ports to handle the additional traffic and in the north-east as a place to do business.”
BG Freight, part of the Peel Ports Group, established a weekly service between Teesport and Rotterdam in April 2009 and added a second service in March 2010. Koert Luitwieler, BG Freight CEO says: “We continue to see demand for services into Teesport rise and so decided to launch a third weekly service. The link to Antwerp opens up a new market for us on this route and we are confident we will attract a lot of cargo from there.” The services accept all types of container and tank traffic. With the specially fitted vessels in the fleet, BG can offer space for 45ft long 2.55 wide high cube containers as well as any length tank or bulk container. Mr Robinson says that Teesport now handles around 20 vessels a week compared with the four or five a week just a few years ago. “This is why we have started the next phase of our expansion plans, increasing capacity from 235,000 to 450,000 TEU this year.” The new service will make its first call at Teesport on April 14th.