Image: Nor Lines

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Samskip subsidiary Nor Lines will include calls at Rotterdam for the first time in its weekly multipurpose liner service connecting to Western, Mid and Northern Norway, with effect from June 1.

The service will be provided by Nor Lines' LNG-fuelled vessels, the MV Kvitnos and MV Kvitbjorn.

Delivered to Nor Lines in 2015, the 5,000-deadweight (dwt) sister vessels Kvitbjorn (which translates as 'white bear') and Kvitnos (or 'white-beaked dolphin') were built by Tsuji Heavy Industries in China and based on Roll-Royce's Environship concept, which claims to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 40 percent compared with diesel-powered vessels.

Both vessels run on Bergen LNG-only engines from Rolls-Royce and feature the fuel-efficient Promas combined rudder/propeller, a power-optimizing hybrid shaft generator and an innovative wave-piercing hull.

As Bunker Index reported last year, Samskip added the ro-ro cargo ships Kvitnos and Kvitbjorn to its fleet as a result of its agreement with DSD Group to acquire the activities of Nor Lines, which generates an average annual turnover of around EUR 110 million.

The Kvitnos and MV Kvitbjorn each offer 1,500 lane square metres (550 lane meter) of ro-ro capacity, 122 TEU as container space, 1,500 tons of reefer space in the lower holds and come equipped with a heavylift crane.

These ships will sail in 14-day loops, connecting Rotterdam and Eemshaven with Norwegian ports from Hammerfest in the far north, and taking in calls including Sandnes/Tananger, Bergen, Trondheim, Alesund, Bodo and Tromso.

Samskip already offers three weekly cellular container services that connect Rotterdam, Bremerhaven and Hamburg to the West Coast of Norway.

In Rotterdam, the call will be accommodated at the SCA Logistics terminal, whose lay-out, equipment and experience focus on multipurpose vessels, ro-ro, break-bulk and containers can be handled in one place.

"Adding Rotterdam to the schedule truly brings something new to services connecting Norwegian ports into Samskip's pan-European multimodal network," commented Caesar Luikenaar, Samskip Trade Director Norway.

"Nor Lines provides the only scheduled service offering RoRo capacity and heavy lift capacity to handle 80-ton loads that connects to ports north of Trondheim. We see major potential for growth in oil and gas project cargoes, breakbulk, and industrial rolling cargo loads whilst also extending Samskip's commercial containerized network directly to North Norway.

"In terms of the seafood cluster Nor Lines will be serving the main reefer ports in the North West of Europe with the main liner service with the LNG vessels and then complemented with the reefer tonnage that Samskip is operating currently already in the Baltic sea. A more flexible approach will be taken to serve current and new ports better for seafood like Cuxhaven, Eemshaven and Velsen. This will allow Nor lines to take more advantage of the seasonal peaks but also create a better reach in the North of Norway able to serve most fish ports and factories."