London Thamesport Gets Eco-friendly Short Sea Boost

The short sea offering at Hutchison Ports London Thamesport will be further enhanced with the launch of WEC Lines’ transformative weekly ‘Euro Maroc Service’. The new service commencing on 19 September 2023 will seamlessly link the UK, France and Northern Europe to Casablanca, Morocco, replacing their existing NWC Iberia and MOPT services.

Mark Taylor, Director Hutchison Ports London Thamesport commented “London Thamesport is well established as one of the leading short sea container ports in the Southeast of England, with a proven track record for excellent service delivery. We welcome WEC Lines’ ‘Euro Maroc Service’ connecting Northwestern Europe via France to Morocco.

“Departing twice weekly, Northbound and Southbound from Montoir on a Tuesday and arriving in London Thamesport on a Thursday, the new service will also provide an eco-friendly alternative to truck transport from West France to the UK, as well as, boosting our short sea options. Our business is committed to protecting the environment, the new service is another step along our journey to achieving a sustainable port and Net-zero by 2035”.

Roger Megann, Managing Director of WEC Lines UK said “We are proud to bring this new product to the market. We continue to listen and understand what our customers need from WEC Lines as we fine tune our networks. Consolidating our services in Thamesport has allowed WEC to add a second weekly call from Bilbao and offer fast direct services from Montoir in France and Casablanca directly to Thamesport. Our aim is to assist our clients meet their carbon reduction targets whilst working towards our own.”

The weekly ‘Euro Maroc Service’ will be operated by three 800 TEU vessels on a 21-day fixed day rotation, with optimal short sea and hinterland connections. The ports of call will include, London Thamesport, Rotterdam, Antwerp, Montoir, Bilbao, Vigo, LeixÕes, Setubal, Casablanca, and Figueira da Foz, creating a vital connection between these key trade hubs.