WEC Lines enters refrigerated container market

WEC Lines is entering the refrigerated container market by adding the first batch of 50 brand new 45ft High-Cube Pallet-Wide refrigerated container (reefer) units to its extensive container fleet.

The Dutch-based carrier says the demand for reefer containers has been rising steadily across various industries, including food & beverage, pharmaceuticals, and healthcare, driven by the need for reliable and secure transport of temperature-sensitive goods.

According to the projections published in Drewry’s 2023 Reefer Shipping Forecaster, container carriers will see their carryings of reefer containers rise by 4% a year between 2023-2028 as the perishables trade proves more resilient to economic downturns.

“With this new investment, WEC Lines is ready to meet the growing demand for refrigerated cargo within Europe”, stated Caesar Luikenaar, Managing Director WEC Lines.

“Adding new reefer units enables us to serve our clients with new and fresh stock and meet the large demand for new containers and equipment availability in current markets.”

These reefer containers will be included in the company’s rotation over the coming months, most likely also adding refrigerated containers to its deep-sea operations.

With its short sea vessels already equipped with reefer plugs and sufficient reefer slots, last month WEC Lines launched a new direct service between Agadir in Morocco and Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom as a fast and green alternative for fresh produce importers to overland trucking.

The service provides onward linkages to North-western Europe e.g., the Netherlands, France and Belgium where Moroccan tomatoes and citrus fruits are currently reaching European supermarkets.