DFDS Acquisition Expected to Boost EU/Turkey Sea Traffic
11th June 2018
Ferry operator DFDS has acquired Turkish shipping company U.N. Ro-Ro and unveiled a substantial ship investment programme.
“I am very pleased to announce that on 7 June 2018, the deal was completed and U.N. Ro-Ro and its strong Mediterranean shipping network became a part of DFDS,” said Niels Smedegaard, CEO & President of DFDS.
“Trade between the EU and Turkey has been booming for a long time and the future prospects are very encouraging for seaborne transportation, which bypasses border controls and road congestion in several countries” continued Smedegaard. “Together, we will be able to offer our customers a unique service, with U.N. Ro-Ro being strong in the Turkish and Mediterranean markets, and DFDS having a very efficient network in Northern Europe.”
U.N. Ro-Ro operates five freight ferry routes connecting Turkey with Trieste in Italy and Toulon in France, with 12 freight ferries and its own port terminals in Istanbul and Trieste. In Europe, the company also offers intermodal solutions to and from other European markets. The company has an annual revenue of EUR 240 million and more than 500 employees.
In addition to this, DFDS has engaged in a substantial fleet renewal programme with seven ships on order. The programme began last year when two new ro-ro ferries were delivered from the Flensburg shipyard in Germany for services between Rotterdam and the UK. Furthermore, DFDS has ordered four ro-ro vessels from the Chinese Jinling Shipyard. The ships will be the largest in DFDS’ history with space for 450 trailers and will be deployed from 2019 in their ro-ro freight markets. This includes the North Sea, where trade and other markets are expected to grow in the future, despite Brexit.