The Canary Islands’ logistical dependence on the Iberian Peninsula has reached a new milestone in terms of capacity and frequency. It is a business regulated by law and also subsidized, as the Canary Islands rely to a considerable extent on the support France provides to its EU outermost regions, such as Martinique and Réunion. The Canary Islands market is key to the accounts of Rodolphe Saadé, owner of the shipping company, which is focused on increasing its presence in the islands, particularly in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
The company has confirmed an increase in its maritime connections with the islands to five weekly sailings, driven mainly by the addition of the container ship CT Pachuca, which is part of the French shipping line CMA CGM’s global network. The move strengthens the position of Seville’s river port as the main multimodal supply hub for the island market.
The ‘CT Pachuca’ consolidates the SECI service’s fixed rotation
The CT Pachuca, a vessel measuring 139 meters in length and 20 meters in beam, with a nominal capacity of 740 TEUs, has been permanently assigned to the SECI service (Seville–Canary Islands). With its deployment, the shipping line is reinforcing a rotation already operated by the Con-Ro vessels CMA CGM Andalucía and CMA CGM Canarias, guaranteeing a direct weekly call at the docks managed by the Port Authority of Las Palmas and the Port Authority of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
The operating model is based on a closed seven-day rotation that ensures predictable transit times of three sailing days between the Guadalquivir Eurovia and the Canary Islands’ capitals. This regularity is crucial for the supply of consumer goods, perishable products and roll-on/roll-off cargo, at a time when island distribution chains require maximum precision to prevent stockouts.
Rail integration and the impact on the carbon footprint
The competitive advantage of Seville’s logistics hub lies in its direct intermodal connection from the port terminal to the Iberian Peninsula’s rail network. Containers unloaded or loaded at the Seville dock connect without logistical breaks to the main production and consumption centers in the interior of the Iberian Peninsula. This combination of rail and short-sea shipping makes it possible to significantly reduce carbon emissions per ton transported compared with routes relying exclusively on road transport. For the Canary Islands, the strengthening of this multimodal corridor represents a strategic safeguard for its supply routes, consolidating Seville as the true gateway for goods entering the archipelago.
The article Rodolphe Saadé wants CMA CGM to get more out of its port business in the Canary Islands was first published on canarymaritime.com.
