West African specialist container line, NileDutch, has acquired the Europe to West Africa services and operations of Safmarine MPV, the independently run multi-purpose vessel business owned by Maersk Line.
The acquisition complements and expands the service offering of NileDutch to customers of containerised, oil & gas, project and conventional cargo to carry a mix of cargo on the same vessel under a single bill of lading, said NileDutch COO Jan Willem de Braal.
“The extension of our service offering delivered by this transaction will enable NileDutch to enhance its operational competiveness in global shipping. With so many infrastructure projects under way – especially in West Africa - this multipurpose offering will allow us to seize more business opportunities in the fields of energy equipment, infrastructure, mining and agriculture. By bringing together the know-how of both teams, we will be better positioned to provide premium services to our customers across all markets,” said.
Jorg Knuttel, managing director of Safmarine MPV, commented: “Following the divestment of Safmarine MPV’s owned vessels in 2015, today’s agreement marks the complete divestment of Safmarine MPV, which was announced in the Maersk Group 2015 Annual Report. For years Safmarine MPV has demonstrated that breakbulk and containers is a strong combination, hence this acquisition is a natural fit.”
The operations of Safmarine MPVs Europe to West Africa services will continue as NileDutch MPV with the first sailing commencing in April.
NileDutch’s MPV service will focus on the Europe - West Africa trade.
