How Did Antwerp Shipping and Forwarding Reduce Project Costs by 25%?
Antwerp Shipping and Forwarding Company NV, a member of the Mega Move Alliance (MMA), successfully transported 2,475 pipes for a power plant project in Iceland, achieving significant cost savings by strategically using Antwerp as a transshipment hub. The company’s logistics planning resulted in a 25% reduction in total transportation costs.
What Was the Scope of the Operation?
The shipment included pipes of various diameters, each measuring 12 meters in length. The total cargo weight reached 2,474 tons, with a combined volume of 3,169 cubic meters. The journey began at the Port of Caofeidian, China, where the pipes were loaded as breakbulk cargo onto the COSCOL liner vessel MV Chang Shun 2. Instead of shipping directly to Iceland, Antwerp Shipping and Forwarding utilized Antwerp as an intermediate hub.
Why Choose Antwerp as a Transshipment Point?
“They chose Antwerp as a transshipment hub due to significant cost savings.”
“Chartering a vessel directly from Caofeidian, China, to Iceland would have been prohibitively expensive. By using a liner service to Antwerp and then chartering a vessel to Iceland, they managed to lower overall transport costs by 25%.”
What Was Their Role at the Port of Antwerp?
Once the cargo arrived in Antwerp, it was temporarily stored at the Zuidnatie terminal, quay 118, where the pipes were sorted according to diameter. The company then chartered the MV NM Copenhagen for the final leg to Thorlakshofn, Iceland.
Their responsibilities included:
Receiving cargo at the terminal
Overseeing the sorting process
Conducting discharge and loading surveys
Managing bonded customs clearance
Ensuring all pipes were safely lashed and secured for sea transport