EMEA News
DFDS and Scottish Port Operator to Invest €6 million Into Scrubbers and Infrastructure
DFDS Seaways and Scotland-based Forth Ports Limited will invest €6 million ($6.6 million) into infrastructure and technology upgrades at Scotland's Port of Rosyth, DFDS Seaways announced this week.
Part of the plan is reportedly investing in the Rosyth-Zeebrugge freight route, which will include installing a scrubber system and implementing a fuel optimisation program aboard the Finlandia Seaways, with the scrubber installation process expected to take place during the vessel’s next dry-dock period by the end of 2015.
Infrastructure adjustments at a terminal in the port, which will reportedly make up roughly €1 million ($1.1 million) of that investment, will go towards facilitating the increase of freight capacity aboard vessels.
“The Rosyth to Zeebrugge freight route is a vital link for Scotland’s economy and hugely important for the large number of customers who use it to get their goods in and out of the country," said Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
"The investment in port improvements by Forth Ports is also a vital component of increasing the capacity and efficiency of the service."
Infrastructure upgrades are expected to be completed by the fall of 2015.
“We are very pleased with the investment programme as it will secure a long-term perspective for the Rosyth-Zeebrugge route and enable companies to continue to use a direct, environmentally friendly means of transport between Scotland and the Continent,” said Stein van Est, route director for DFDS Seaways.
Late last year it was reported that DFDS Seaways had agreed to continue operating the route despite concerns over the impact of Emission Control Areas (ECA).
