- The ship “Friedrich Russ”, from the shipping company Suardiaz, made the first crossing of the new Vigo-Liverpool sea line, where 86% of the components for the production will be provided by the British Stellantis plant in Ellesmere Port, which produces more than 50,000 light commercial vehicles per year.
- After the renovation of the Queen Elizabeth II terminal in Liverpool (United Kingdom), Suardiaz will provide comprehensive logistics services, transporting 14,700 trailers from the Bouzas terminal in Vigo with two weekly frequencies.
- Stellantis Vigo supplies the body parts, and 16 suppliers (tier 1) established in Galicia will provide more than half of the components of the cars produced in Ellesmere Port, with a value of more than 150 million euros per year.
The ship “Friedrich Russ”, of the shipping company Suardiaz, will sail tomorrow, October 27, from the port terminal of Bouzas, to make the first official crossing of the new line of sea ​​of ​​Vigo-Liverpool, where up to 86% of the components required for the production of the British Stellantis plant in Ellesmere Port more than 50,000 vehicles per year light commercial models of Citroën, Peugeot, Opel and Vauxhall brands will be carried, in their electric versions.
After carrying out in recent days the necessary tests to verify the operation of the Queen Elizabeth II terminal in Liverpool (United Kingdom), which is specifically equipped for this rolling logistics flow, today the ship’s loading operations have begun in front of the top managers of Suardaz, Stellantis Vigo, Port of Vigo, and Cluster de Automoción de Galicia (CEAGA), who inaugurated the new route in an event attended by other representatives of entities and companies involved, as well as the administrations and the port community.
Suardiaz plans to operate two weekly frequencies on this route to transport up to 14,700 trailers per year. With this new maritime logistics service, carbon emissions will be reduced in line with the Strategic Plan of Stellantis Dare Forward 2030. Compared to road transport, the direct maritime route will generate a 30% reduction in emissions of CO2 throughout the year, reducing energy consumption by 37%.
The new line, designed jointly between Suardiaz and Stellantis as a tailored solution to optimize this new supply chain at the Ellesmere Port plant, reinforces the extensive experience that the two companies have had developing maritime routes since they were launched in 1973. The Vigo-Saint Nazaire (France) line was started, which this year celebrates 50 years of operation.
Through this supply flow, the Stellantis Vigo plant will send 47 references of sheet metal parts to Ellesmere Port, representing 83% of the vehicle bodywork to be produced at the British plant, and the suppliers established in Peninsula Ibérica will supply. 86 percent of the components from which these cars will be assembled
50% of the parts required for the production of light commercial vehicles in Ellesmere Port are sent to suppliers located in Galicia, 24% to suppliers in Portugal, and 12% to companies located in the rest of Spain. Up to 16 suppliers (tier 1) installed in Galicia generate an annual turnover of more than 150 million euros with this supply to the United Kingdom.
The production of 100% electric light commercial vehicles by Stellantis in Ellesmere Port takes place in a scenario of high production of these models to meet the demand of this market segment, led by Stellantis in Europe.
With sheet metal parts and components received from Vigo, Ellesmere Port plans to produce more than 50,000 units/year of light commercial vehicles from the Vauxhall, Opel, Peugeot and Citroën brands in their electric version, mainly supplying the British market. This production is added to that made in the plants of Vigo and Mangualde (Portugal).
Juan Riva, President of Suardiaz: “Today is a historic date for the Port of Vigo, since the launch of a new maritime connection between Vigo and Liverpool coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Sea Highway connecting Galicia in Pays de la Loire. Once again, Suardiaz puts his knowledge and experience at the service of the automotive industry. With a door-to-door intermodal logistics chain, the result of joint work between the Stellantis and Suardiaz teams, the position of the Vigo Plant will be strengthened, and the expansion and connection of the automotive industrial fabric with the United Kingdom will be favored.
The maritime solution offered by Grupo Suardiaz has contributed to the reduction of CO2 emissions by removing more than 14,000 trucks from European and British roads. We also work with ports and plants in Ellesmere Port and Vigo for the installation and use of cold ironing, as well as for the electrification of the last mile using electric trucks. This will allow us to continue to fulfill Suardiaz’s commitment to decarbonization and maintain our maritime-land corridor.”
Ignacio Bueno, Director of Stellantis Vigo: “After half a century, together with Suardaz, we launched the first sea bridge between Vigo and the French region of Pays de la Loire, opening our door to Europe through the sea, The same actors Today we start a new route that strengthens the Automotive Sector in Galicia. “Through this new line, the Stellantis Vigo plant, as the base plant for the models produced in Ellesmere Port, and the associated network of suppliers, we contribute to the industrial activity of Stellantis in the United Kingdom.”
Patricia Moreira, President of Ceaga: “The production of Ellesmere Port has a significant impact on the activity of the supplier companies in Galicia. This sea line exports the knowledge of our sector and brings us closer to the British market. This is a direct connection to a strategic market for our companies and opens up new opportunities for us.”
Carlos Botana, President of the Port Authority of Vigo: “This new supply chain strengthens the automotive industry in Galicia by increasing its exports and opens a new route for the arrival of other goods from the United Kingdom to Vigo. The sea route is well chosen, which is more sustainable, and will contribute to the acceleration of the transformation of the Bouzas Terminal for the use of clean energy within the Blue Growth project roadmap of the Port of Vigo. adapting the Port of Vigo to the needs of the Stellantis group.
About Stelantis
Stellantis NV (NYSE/MTA/Euronext Paris: STLA) is one of the world’s leading vehicle manufacturers and mobility providers. Historic and iconic brands embody the passion of their visionary founders and today’s customers in their innovative products and services, including Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Citroën, Dodge, DS Automobiles, Fiat, Jeep®, Lancia, Maserati, Opel, Peugeot, Ram, Vauxhall, Free2move, and Leasys. Because of our diversity, we lead the way in the world of mobility, aiming to be the biggest, not the biggest, sustainable mobility technology company while creating added value for all stakeholders as well as the communities in which we operate. For more information, visit www.stellantis.com.
About Suardiaz
Suardiaz is a logistics group with more than 70 years of experience, which includes companies dedicated to maritime transport, rail and road, terminals, forwarding, customs, storage, and special projects. Since its inception, it has operated the “Highway of the Sea” between Vigo and St. Nazaire (France) and the two port terminals serving the Stellantis Vigo plant. It operates several RoRo and car carrier services between the Western Mediterranean, North Africa, and Northern Europe, as well as the United Kingdom. There are offices in Spain, France, the United Kingdom, Morocco, Mexico, and Colombia.
About Ceaga
CEAGA currently brings together a complete collaborative innovation ecosystem, made up of 200 companies from the driving company, a technology center, Tier 1, SMEs, and 64 startups born within the Business Factory Auto (BFA). Its mission is to promote high-impact collaborative projects to improve the competitiveness of companies in the automotive industry in Galicia. The ultimate goal is to place the Galician automotive sector in a competitive and sustainable leadership position at a global level by 2025, contributing to the development and quality of life in our environment.
About the Port of Vigo
The Port of Vigo stands in front of the Atlantic; it is distributed in 14.5 kilometers of ports, 2.5 million square meters of port land, and 4 million square meters of the Salvaterra-As Neves Logistics Platform (PLISAN). It is a fundamental link in the chain of social and economic wealth generation in the area. A logistics center for Galicia, the Northwest of Spain, and the North of Portugal Almost 40% of exports in value from Galician maritime traffic are made through the Port of Vigo, where goods worth more than 13.4 billion euros are transferred every year. In the national ranking, the Port of Vigo leads traffic in areas such as fishing (it is the first port in the world that handles fish for human consumption) and granite; it is the co-leader, together with Valencia and Barcelona, ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ and it is a reference port for refrigerated merchandise. Since 2016, he has been leading the European Blue Growth strategy.
