New estuary barge Seaford presented in Zeebrugge
WeBarge, a subsidiary of Van Moer Logistics and Manuport Logistics, has expanded its fleet with the new estuary container ship Seaford, an important step in making inland shipping more sustainable. During a festive gathering in Zeebrugge, the ship was officially presented.
18 December 2024
Strategic growth and expansion
WeBarge has had an impressive growth trajectory over the past 15 years. What began as a modest port shuttle service in the Port of Antwerp has grown into a broad logistics network with services to various inland terminals. With the recent agreement in principle to acquire PortConnect, WeBarge's services will be further strengthened. This cooperation will make it possible to offer a fully integrated shuttle network in line with the name Antwerp-Bruges Shuttle Service. WeBarge currently serves eight terminals owned by its shareholders, accounting for 35% of its total volume, while 65% comes from external customers. This shows that the company is strongly rooted in the industry both internally and externally.
Sustainability and innovation
The new estuary container ship Seaford marks an important step in making inland shipping more sustainable. The ship was built at the Haitong Shipyard in China and transported by submersible ocean-going vessel to Rotterdam, where further finishing took place at Dolderman in Dordrecht. Seaford has a capacity of over 600 TEU (including connection for 100 refrigerated containers), a carrying capacity of 9,000 tons and sails with hybrid Stage 5 diesel engines capable of running on 100% biodiesel with built-in batteries for emission-free operations. These innovative technologies allow the Seaford to operate completely carbon-neutral in ports for up to five hours, significantly reducing its carbon footprint. “We firmly believe that sustainability and efficiency go hand in hand, and we are proud of the steps we are taking to ensure a sustainable future for the logistics and transportation industry. The addition of the Seaford allows us to create even more synergies and offer our customers the best service, while respecting the environment,” said Olivier De Smedt, CEO WeBarge.
Zeebrugge
Yesterday, the ship was officially presented to customers, partners and other invited guests in the port of Zeebrugge. Mayor Dirk De fauw was also present at the presentation. "For me and for the Zeebrugge port platform it is essential that there is a good and regular connection via the estuary navigation between Antwerp and Zeebrugge. This will take hundreds of trucks off the freeway,” said Dirk De fauw, mayor of Bruges and vice president Port of AntwerpBruges. With the Seaford, the Antwerp barge operator adds its 13th ship to the fleet, consisting of 10 barges and 3 estuary ships. The vessel will connect the ports of Antwerp, Zeebrugge and Rotterdam within the WeBarge network
