Luxembourg-based shortsea operator CLdN has agreed to acquire the UK and Ireland quay-to-quay and door-to-door freight business of multimodal group Samskip.
The deal covers Samskip’s container shipping services linking Rotterdam with the UK ports of Belfast, Blyth, Grangemouth, Hull and Tilbury, as well as the Irish ports of Cork, Dublin and Waterford. The services make more than 1,000 port calls a year and handle cargo for a wide range of customers, including major consumer goods manufacturers.
In addition to the quay-to-quay services, the transaction includes door-to-door operations connecting the UK and Ireland with continental Europe. More than 5,000 multimodal cargo units are part of the transfer, including 45ft pallet-wide containers, reefers, curtain-sided units, flat racks and high-cube refrigerated containers.
Certain supplier agreements will also move across to CLdN, including contracts covering road haulage, rail and barge links, vessel-sharing arrangements and port operations.
The acquisition is subject to regulatory and competition clearances. Financial details have not been disclosed.
CLdN, chief executive Florent Maes said the transaction is complementary to the company’s existing shipping and multimodal operations and will offer customers more sailing options, greater frequency and expanded door-to-door coverage. CLdN operates around 30 vessels and more than 200 sailings a week, linking mainland Europe with the UK, Ireland, Iberia and Scandinavia.
For Samskip, the sale marks a strategic shift. Chief executive Ólafur Orri Ólafsson said the disposal will allow the company to focus on its longer-distance multimodal network spanning mainland Europe, the Nordics, the Baltics and North Africa, while ensuring continuity of service in the UK and Ireland through a strong partner.
