The car carrier “Xiang Jiang Kou” from the Chinese state shipping company Cosco has docked at the BLG car terminal in Bremerhaven for the first time and unloaded part of its cargo.
Two ships from the Far East are to call at the terminal every month as part of a new liner service. Bremerhaven is of great importance to China.
BLG’s Bremerhaven car terminal is a key port of entry into the European market for the Chinese state shipping company Cosco Shipping Carriers. To this end, BLG Logistics and the Chinese shipping company entered into a strategic partnership at the beginning of the year, with which the companies intend to combine their expertise in automotive logistics and the handling of “high & heavy” goods from China to Europe. As a result, the Chinese shipping company is now setting up a liner service that includes Bremerhaven with at least two calls per month.
To this end, the BLG network will be made available to the shipping company and the Chinese vehicle manufacturers on land. “This enables importers to obtain end-to-end logistics solutions from a single source, from the factories in China to trade in Europe,” according to BLG’s press release at the beginning of the month.
Cosco sees Bremerhaven as a hub for the European market
“For Chinese manufacturers, Bremerhaven is of great importance as a port of entry to the European market. In particular, efficient logistical access to the German market, as one of the leading sales markets for vehicle manufacturers, is key,” Cosco Shipping Car Carriers announced. Bremerhaven will also act as a central hub for the markets in Scandinavia, Central and Eastern Europe and the Baltic states.
In terms of Chinese manufacturers, Cosco Shipping Car Carriers has recognized BLG’s network advantage through the combination of seaport terminal, inland terminals, value-adding technical services and transport by road and rail. “The signed agreement shows that our partner appreciates BLG’s depth of service and cross-network service offering and wants to create the corresponding benefits for our joint customers,” explained Axel Bantel, Managing Director Sales at BLG Automobile Logistics, recently.
Another new car carrier from Cosco-Shipping has now moored at the BLG car terminal in Bremerhaven’s Osthafen. The latest ship in a series of nine so-called PCTC (Pure Car and Truck Carriers), the “Xiang Jiang Kou” built by Guangzhou Shipyard International, unloaded part of its cargo in Bremerhaven during its maiden voyage from China via Thailand.
“Xiang Jiang Kou” on her maiden voyage in Bremerhaven
The almost 200 m long “Xiang Jiang Kou” is owned by CITIC Financial Leasing and operated by Cosco Shippping under a time charter agreement. The Lieberia-flagged freighter has a maximum draught of 10 meters. The freighter is powered by a two-stroke dual-fuel main engine from MAN-B&W with an output of 13,300 kW. Supplemented by a fixed pitch propeller, three dual-fuel generators and a bow thruster, a maximum speed of up to 19 knots is achieved.
The LNG-powered car carrier has two LNG tanks, each with a capacity of 1,675m3. The natural gas capacity ensures uninterrupted operation during the voyage from Asia to Europe. The ship has twelve car decks, including eight fixed decks and four lifting decks for the transportation of up to 7,000 standard vehicles (CEU). All decks are designed for fuel vehicles and vehicles with lithium batteries, while the two upper decks are equipped for alternative energy vehicles, such as those powered by hydrogen and natural gas. (CE)
