CEVA Logistics expands capabilities in Africa with new fish loaders in Ivory Coast

New equipment enables CEVA Logistics to increase capacity, maintain product integrity throughout its journey

CEVA Logistics is expanding its African operations and services with the acquisition of two fish loaders for use at the port in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. The new loaders enable CEVA to offer a full end-to-end solution for frozen tuna exports from the West African country—exports that are set to exceed 150,000 tons by 2023.

The CEVA Logistics team in Ivory Coast has long been established in fish loading and will use the new equipment to further expand its capabilities, which also include stuffing, handling and managing all Customs formalities.

New fish loaders improve efficiency

Operated by specially trained CEVA personnel, the fish loaders were imported from Spain, assembled at the docks by technicians and wheeled into position. They replace rented equipment that was not solely dedicated to CEVA. Within two days of setup, the new fish loaders had filled more than 10 40-foot reefer containers with minimal handling, while protecting the delicate cargo against degrading natural elements such as sun, heat and humidity.

Directly owning the new loaders allows CEVA to deliver increased reliability and performance in fish loading, avoiding costly downtime. The net result is that exports destined for key markets, such as Spain and Ecuador, can be delivered in with the highest degrees of quality. Customers, such as Grupo Albacora, are already benefitting from the improved efficiency and quality offered by the new equipment.

Says Hakim Hadji, managing director for West and Northern Africa, CEVA Logistics: ‘‘At CEVA Logistics, we are committed to delivering responsive logistics. At the port of Abidjan, this commitment led us to invest in these new fish loaders that enable us to be more efficient and control the entire loading process for our customers. At the same time, we are able to support the port’s ability to welcome a greater number of trawlers through reduced turnaround times. The loaders are now fully operational and delivering improved throughput results on a daily basis.”