RoRo Archives

Easyfairs has officially opened registration for this year’s exclusive AntwerpXL (AXL) event at the Antwerp Expo in Belgium, taking place from 8 October to 10th 2024. This year is expected to be bigger and better than ever, with over 80% of the exhibition space already sold and over 94% of last year’s attendees expressing their intent to return. The premier conference and exhibition is a key maritime and logistics event dedicated exclusively to the breakbulk, project cargo, heavy lift and Ro-Ro sectors. Responding to our attendees’ survey last year, we have extended the opening hours and added a closing party for even more networking opportunities.

Last year, AXL attracted over 3,800 members of the breakbulk community from 66 countries. This event provides a unique opportunity for attendees to showcase innovative technology, overcome industry challenges and build relationships based on trust. Participants have the chance to network, create valuable connections and learn from industry leaders, making it a vital event for those involved in the breakbulk, project cargo and heavy lift sectors.

This year’s exhibition will welcome several industry giants, including S&P Global, Rebel Group and Hitachi Energy, who will drive the main deck conference stage programme. The panels will delve into critical sectoral issues and key topics, including decarbonisation, fuels of the future, market updates, trends and strategies for attracting the next generation of professionals. These sessions are key for anyone looking to drive progress and innovation within their business.

The 2024 edition will also focus more on the RoRo market. “With the industry facing multiple challenges, including port congestion, fire hazards surrounding electric vehicles, and permitting challenges, AXL is the perfect opportunity for the sector to come together to try and address these,” explains Margaret Dunn, AXL’s portfolio director.

“We look forward to welcoming car, high and heavy and other vehicle manufacturers to the show. Across the three days, they will have the time they need to discuss their current environmental, geopolitical and regulatory concerns and build relationships with RoRocarriers and ports across the globe.”

A special drinks reception will also be hosted at the event for the AXL 40 Under 40 campaign winners, celebrating their significant contributions and underscoring AXL commitment to nurturing the next generation of industry innovators and leaders. The AXL 40 under 40 accolade honours the best, brightest, and bravest young professionals who have demonstrated exceptional potential or achieved remarkable success, positioning them as the rising stars of the breakbulk and heavy lift industry.

This year, attendees can also participate in the 54th Business Run, a unique event that combines running, networking, and charity. Participants can choose between a 4K or 9K run around the beautiful city of Antwerp, making it an excellent opportunity to give back while forging valuable connections.

The logistics manager from ArcelorMittal commented on AXL success in 2023: “We met all the right people at the right time; it was great quality, and we will definitely be attending this year’s event.” The logistics manager from Ferrum NV agreed, “We enjoyed attending AXL and will definitely be coming back this year; it was a great networking event.”

Register here for more information and to visit or Exhibit at AXL 2024

AXL was first held in 2019 and quickly became a key event in the maritime and logistics calendar. After its successful inaugural edition, the exhibition continued to grow despite interruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, returning stronger in subsequent years. The event is strategically located in Antwerp, home to one of the largest ports in Europe, making it an ideal venue for an exhibition focused on breakbulk and project cargo. AXL returns in 2024 to bring the breakbulk community together again to showcase innovative technology, overcome industry challenges, and build trust-based relationships.

Venue Antwerp expo Opening times:

08 October 2024 16:00 – 20:00
09 October 2024 10:00 – 20:00
10 October 2024 10:00 – 16:00

Bigger & Better: AntwerpXL ’23

Thousands of cars are now entering Türkiye after DP World Yarımca introduced an innovative ‘cars in containers’ shipping solution that has helped solve an automotive supply chain crisis in the region.

Congestion at Turkish ports has resulted in significant delays in delivering new vehicles against a backdrop of skyrocketing demand in the burgeoning automotive market. Türkiye recently experienced an auto sales boom with a record 110,000 vehicles sold in June which is a 37.5% year-on-year increase, according to data from Automotive Distributors and Mobility Association (ODMD).

With traditional importation and shipping solutions via ‘roll-on roll-off’ (RoRo) ships facing significant delays due to congestion at RoRo ports, car manufacturers were unable to make timely delivery on purchases. This left customers waiting significantly longer for their new cars and caused prices to inflate across both the new and used vehicle markets.

Using an alternative solution to help make more cars flow into the country more quickly, DP World began importing 10,000 vehicles by putting new SUVs from Chinese automaker Chery Automotive into containers. This meant the vehicle could be offloaded using traditional cranes at lift on lift off (LoLo) ports and did not require a specialised RoRo port or berth, resulting in a significantly more efficient and resilient route to market.

The solution became more feasible when DP World and Chery implemented a specially designed racking arrangement to increase capacity by loading three SUVs into each container instead of two, which helped to improve the cost efficiency of transporting vehicles from China to Türkiye and reduce the cost passed on to consumers. The feasibility of the solution also made Yarımca an important steppingstone for the shipment of Chery Automotive vehicles into the booming Turkish auto market.

With Chery keen to expand its presence in Europe, the cars in container solution is set to be a key part of how it will deliver vehicles to market.

Rashid Abdulla, CEO & Managing Director, DP World Europe said: “When we describe DP World to the outside world we often say we are a global smart trade enabler – this solution is an innovative example of what we mean by that. The automotive industry has experienced significant changes and supply chain challenges in the last few years globally, and in Türkiye that ranged from microchip to RoRo capacity shortages. I’m proud that our team could implement an alternative solution that helped to ease these challenges – and that we played a key role in the expansion of Chery Automotive into the Turkish market.”

Kris Adams, CEO of DP World Yarımca: “Our terminal at Yarimca, which has not traditionally moved vehicles, is now becoming a key hub for new vehicles entering the market. The new innovative solutions we have introduced will help Chery Automotive to establish itself as a significant supplier in this market and in neighbouring countries, offering economic benefits to Türkiye while also helping consumers get their new cars more quickly.”

DP World Yarımca provides seamless connectivity to its customers and partners with an annual handling capacity of 1.15 million TEUs.

Tag: RoRo

Registration Now Open for AntwerpXL 2024

Innovative Solution for Türkiye’s Automotive Supply Chain

Subscribe