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 significant extent on the support that France provides to its outermost regions in the EU, such as Martinique and Réunion. The Canary Islands market is key to Rodolphe Saadé’s finances; the owner of the shipping company has set his sights 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 has been integrated into the global network of French shipping line CMA CGM. The move strengthens the position of the Seville river port as the main multimodal supply platform 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 entry into service, 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 Las Palmas Port Authority and the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Port Authority.
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 the islands’ distribution chains require maximum precision to avoid stockouts.
Rail integration and impact on the carbon footprint
Seville’s competitive advantage 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 transport and short-sea shipping significantly reduces carbon emissions per ton transported compared with routes relying exclusively on road transport. For the Canary Islands, the consolidation of this multimodal corridor represents a strategic safeguard for its supply routes, establishing 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.
