HMM (Hyundai Merchant Marine) and Ocean Network Express (ONE) launched a new container shipping service between the Mediterranean and West Africa on Tuesday, which positions the Port of Algeciras as the starting and closing point of the rotation. The two shipping companies operate the route in cooperation, both members of the Premier Alliance along with Yang Ming.
The service is marketed under a different name by each company: HMM identifies it as MA2 (Mediterranean-West Africa Service) and ONE calls it MAX (Mediterranean Africa Express Service). In both cases, it is the same weekly rotation, operated with a joint fleet of five container ships with a capacity of 2,800 TEUs and a complete cycle of 35 days.
The rotation starts in Algeciras and continues through Tanger Med (Morocco), Dakar (Senegal), Tema (Ghana), Lekki (Nigeria), and Abidjan (Ivory Coast), before returning again to the Andalusian port. The route thus connects the Strait corridor with five of the main ports on the Atlantic façade of Africa, incorporating Algeciras and Tanger Med as connections to both shipping companies' intercontinental networks.
HMM has presented the MA2 as part of its global hub-and-spoke strategy, a model where a central port concentrates the cargo and redistributes it to secondary routes. The South Korean company sees the new connection as a way to integrate African traffic with its main east-west services and facilitate access to markets in the region. According to the shipping company, in the last six months it has added 24 feeder ships to its fleet, with units ordered from HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and acquisitions in the market, with the aim of expanding its service network.
ONE, for its part, presents the MAX as a direct solution for shippers operating between West Africa and international markets, in a context of demand for reliable connections, flexible routing options, and stable transit times. The Japanese shipping company points out that the service will allow traffic from the African ports included in the rotation to be channeled into its global network, with subsequent connections to Asia, northern Europe, the Indian subcontinent, North America, South America, and other Mediterranean locations.
In the structure of the new service, Algeciras and Tanger Med act as connection points with ONE's international network and facilitate the distribution of cargo to other long-distance services. For the Port of Algeciras, the rotation adds a weekly stop linked to traffic with West Africa, an area with a growing weight in the maritime flows of manufactured products, consumer goods, raw materials, and containerized cargo destined for regional and global markets.
The route incorporates ports with differentiated positions within the region. Dakar, in Senegal, acts as a gateway for regional traffic in Atlantic Africa. Tema, in Ghana, is one of the main port nodes of the Gulf of Guinea. Lekki, in Nigeria, provides additional capacity to the Lagos logistics environment. And Abidjan, in Ivory Coast, plays a relevant role in maritime traffic on the western African façade. The inclusion of these enclaves articulates a regular connection between several of the most dynamic port markets in the area and the intercontinental services of the two shipping companies.
ONE has indicated that customers of the MAX service will have access to subsequent connections with its global network, including routes to North America, South America, northern Europe, the Mediterranean, and Asia, a structure with which the company intends to simplify cargo movements for operators needing to combine African regional services with long-haul ocean connections. "We are committed to investment and growth in Africa. The MAX service is an essential addition to our network, as it connects West Africa with key global trade routes and provides our customers with seamless access to ONE's extensive international network," stated Hosaka, CEO of ONE (Europe).
The launch of the service coincides with HMM's investment cycle in TTI Algeciras, one of the container terminals at the port in which the shipping company participates. The project includes the addition of 15.9 hectares in Phase B of Isla Verde Exterior and the extension of the concession until 2066. The investment, estimated at 150 million euros, will raise the terminal's capacity by 500,000 TEUs, reaching 2.1 million TEUs by 2028.
