NileDutch Acquires Safmarine MPV
NileDutch, West Africa specialist container line based in the Netherlands, will take over the final portion of Safmarine MPV, which sails a mixture of containers and project cargo to and from West Africa. Safmarine MPV is owned by Denmark’s Maersk Line.
The operations of Safmarine MPVs Europe to West Africa services will continue as NileDutch MPV with the first sailing commencing in April.
The acquisition marks the start of NileDutch’s venture into the multipurpose vessel business, enabling it to offer services to customers of containerized, oil and gas, project and conventional cargo to carry a mix of cargo on the same vessel under a single bill of lading.
The service will focus on Europe – West Africa trade, as direct calls from numerous ports are expected to accommodate the full range of cargoes, including containers, breakbulk, neo-bulk, project modules and oil and gas-related cargoes.
“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 underway in especially West Africa, this multipurpose offering gives NileDutch a real edge and will allow us to seize more business opportunities in the fields of energy equipment, infrastructure, mining and agriculture,” said NileDutch COO Jan Willem de Braal.
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.”
