News / Clear choice for shippers and forwarders, thanks to Rijeka terminal moves

Photo: ICTSI

Shippers and forwarders in central and southern Europe using the Croatian container gateway of Rijeka will soon be able to directly compare the different container supply chains offered by the new global shipping alliances.

This week, Maersk announced that the Gemini Cooperation’s Asia-Mediterranean Gem Asia Med Loop 1 (marketed as the AE12 by Maersk and SE1 by Hapag-Lloyd) will, in September, move its Rijeka call from the ICTSI-operated Adriatic Gateway Container Terminal (AGCT) to the recently built Rijeka Gateway Terminal (RGT).

RGT is 51% owned by Maersk’s port operating arm, APM Terminals, and 49% by Croatian investment group ENNA, and the two partners signed a 50-year concession agreement with local authorities in 2022 to build and operate the new facility.

The first phase of RGT (below), with a 400-metre berth capable of handling the largest ships afloat, will officially commence operations with the arrival of Hapag-Lloyd’s 15,000 teu Al Jasrah on 12 September. The new facility will more than double the port of Rijeka’s annual current capacity of 600,000 teu, to 1.25m teu.

Photo: © Baloncici | Dreamstime.com

“This move supports the goal of the east-west network to reduce volatility in our customers’ supply chains by delivering industry-leading reliability,” Maersk told customers.

“The brand-new, state-of-the-art terminal is equipped with advanced infrastructure capabilities and robust hinterland connectivity, designed to seamlessly support your end-to-end supply chain needs,” it added.

Meanwhile, the existing AGCT handled its largest-ever vessel last weekend with the call of the 15,500 CMA CGM Adonis, deployed on the Ocean Alliance’s Med 5 loop, a service in the process of receiving large ships.

“Its arrival signifies a capacity upgrade for the service, as it is the first vessel of its size to call the port and the region,” said ICTSI. “More, similarly sized, vessels will soon be deployed, including the CMA CGM Apollon, CMA CGM Oziris and CMA CGM Hermes.

“The vessel’s deployment reflects not only CMA CGM’s confidence in Rijeka and the broader south-east and central European markets, but also the belief among Ocean Alliance partners in the importance and growing capacity of Rijeka and AGCT,” it added.

Meanwhile, Alphaliner today noted: “Rijeka’s record illustrates a moderate upgrade of this loop, with ships from 9,000 to 10,000 teu, partially being replaced by tonnage of 11,000 to 15,500 teu.

“This upgrade is important for AGCT, since the operator stands to lose the weekly calls from its so-far-largest liner service in September,” it added, referring to the Gem Asia Med Loop 1 move.

Once completed, the terminal switch will give the Gemini partners full control over this particular container supply chain and allow shippers and forwarders the opportunity to directly compare the streamlined port call Gemini concept with the Ocean Alliance’s more traditional Asia-Mediterranean string – both in terms of reliability and cost.

According to the eeSea liner database, apart from the Gemini and Ocean Alliance Asia-Mediterranean strings, there are four other liner services calling at Rijeka: two MSC feeder loops; one CMA CGM feeder service; and a feeder service operated by Cosco’s European subsidiary, Diamond Line.

Overall monthly capacity currently offered to exporters and importers through Rijeka amounts to 148,000 teu, according to proforma schedules in June – although 38,000 teu was lost through blanked sailings.

eeSea currently forecasts the monthly total will rise to between 153,000 teu and 174,000 teu over the next three months.