Three weekly departures from the Catalonian capital (photo F.Dubessy)
SPAIN. The new sea freight operator Balear Container Lines (BCL) is offering an innovative service exclusively for containerised cargo between the Balearic Islands and the Iberian Peninsular.
The company was created in 2013 with the merger of different groups in the industry: the Spanish group Perez & Cia, LSV Logistic, the Italian company X-Press and “Transitos & Aduanas Palma SL”, a specialist in global logistics based in the Balearic Islands.
BCL began by establishing itself with a regular service: three weekly departures from Barcelona (Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday) to Palma de Majorca and one departure a week (Saturday) from the port of Alicante.
The long-term objective is to offer daily links in direct competition with two companies operating Ro-Ro services on this route (Balearia and Acciona). BCL provides its services using container ships with a capacity of 382 TEUs.
Balear Container Lines aims to establish itself by proposing a new “made to measure” logistics model as the young shipping company is also authorised to carry dangerous goods. BCL's directors have turned this into one of the company's key assets in light of the supply problems affecting these goods which have arisen in recent years on the island of Majorca, where the majority of industrial companies in the Balearics are based.
The company was created in 2013 with the merger of different groups in the industry: the Spanish group Perez & Cia, LSV Logistic, the Italian company X-Press and “Transitos & Aduanas Palma SL”, a specialist in global logistics based in the Balearic Islands.
BCL began by establishing itself with a regular service: three weekly departures from Barcelona (Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday) to Palma de Majorca and one departure a week (Saturday) from the port of Alicante.
The long-term objective is to offer daily links in direct competition with two companies operating Ro-Ro services on this route (Balearia and Acciona). BCL provides its services using container ships with a capacity of 382 TEUs.
Balear Container Lines aims to establish itself by proposing a new “made to measure” logistics model as the young shipping company is also authorised to carry dangerous goods. BCL's directors have turned this into one of the company's key assets in light of the supply problems affecting these goods which have arisen in recent years on the island of Majorca, where the majority of industrial companies in the Balearics are based.
A viable alternative
Barcelona Port (photo F.Dubessy)
The only real constraint on the company's positioning as a carrier of dangerous materials, apart from the need to obtain the necessary certifications and transport permits, is that it will be unable to provide passenger transport at the same time. However, BCL presents a viable alternative to the organisation of Ro-Ro cargo flows which has been used exclusively until now between the peninsular and the Balearic Islands.
The new management system enables a comprehensive logistics chain for goods on a national and international scale especially, that is better adapted to container transport. The profitability of BCL's new connection and containerised transport services will also be measured in these terms, while BCL also relies on the dynamism of Spanish exports.
These conditions will greatly benefit the port of Barcelona and the entire region of Catalonia, whose exports have increased by 40% in four years.
Special issue : Market 14
Special issue Econostrum.info in partnership with Shippax
The new management system enables a comprehensive logistics chain for goods on a national and international scale especially, that is better adapted to container transport. The profitability of BCL's new connection and containerised transport services will also be measured in these terms, while BCL also relies on the dynamism of Spanish exports.
These conditions will greatly benefit the port of Barcelona and the entire region of Catalonia, whose exports have increased by 40% in four years.
Special issue : Market 14
Special issue Econostrum.info in partnership with Shippax
