Boluda Shipping has signed an agreement to acquire all of Samskip, including its assets and operations, with the aim of integrating the activities of both companies and creating a short-sea shipping network that will connect northern Europe with the Iberian Peninsula, the Canary Islands and West Africa. The deal is subject to the relevant regulatory approvals and is expected to close on January 1, 2027.
The acquisition will combine Boluda Shipping’s maritime and logistics activities with Samskip’s multimodal network. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Samskip has an established presence in northern European markets. The two companies already had a commercial relationship through joint services in Spain, a collaboration that provided the basis for proposing the integration of their operations.
According to the companies’ forecasts, the resulting network will comprise 32 vessels operating 18 maritime routes and connecting markets in 28 countries. Its logistics infrastructure will include 21 port terminals, five rail terminals and a fleet of more than 500 company-owned trucks.
The integration will also make it possible to manage approximately 35,000 containers, with estimated annual logistics volumes exceeding 750,000 TEU. These capabilities will be distributed across the maritime, rail and road transport services currently operated by both companies.
The agreement provides for the creation of an intermodal network that will use port terminals as connection points between different modes of transport. The goal is to expand freight distribution options between Europe’s main production and consumption centers, the ports of the Iberian Peninsula, the Canary Islands and the markets of West Africa.
Boluda Shipping is contributing its container shipping operations, port logistics services and network of connections to island territories and the West African coast. Samskip is bringing its expertise in multimodal transport, logistics facilities and commercial relationships with operators and shippers in northern Europe.
Boluda Shipping’s executive chairman, Ignacio Boluda Ceballos, explained that the acquisition is part of the company’s growth strategy in the European short-sea shipping market.
“We have a clear vision: to lead European short-sea shipping and make our network a competitive advantage for the companies that trust us,” Boluda said, adding that the integration will expand available connections and develop new operational capabilities between Europe and West Africa.
For his part, Samskip CEO Ólafur Orri Ólafsson said that the two companies share a history rooted in transport and logistics, as well as a family-owned structure.
Ólafsson explained that combining their respective capabilities will allow them to expand their commercial offering and draw on the experience of both organizations’ teams in the markets where they operate.
The acquisition also includes investments to increase the future network’s operational capacity, expand connections and coordinate maritime, rail and land services. Integrating management systems, operating procedures and customer service will form part of the process planned after the transaction closes.
In terms of the environment, the companies plan to develop transport solutions combining rail and maritime services with road collection and delivery operations. This intermodal model can help reduce carbon dioxide emissions compared with certain routes carried out exclusively by road.
One of the joint network’s main operating hubs will be located in Rotterdam, where both companies have maritime transport and logistics operations.
Boluda already has a presence in northern Europe through Boluda Towage’s port tug services and Boluda Shipping’s transport and logistics operations. Last June, the company opened new offices in Rotterdam as part of its regional commercial and operational organization.
For Samskip, which is headquartered in the Netherlands, Rotterdam is also one of its main centers of activity. The integration will make it possible to coordinate some of the services connecting northern European markets with the Mediterranean, the Iberian Peninsula and West Africa from this location.
The deal also provides for the continuation of the Samskip brand, its Icelandic corporate identity and its commercial presence in the markets where it currently operates.
Ólafur Orri Ólafsson will remain involved with the company and take part in the integration process under the new ownership, working with the Samskip and Boluda Shipping teams to reorganize operations.
Boluda Shipping currently operates a network of eleven maritime routes through Boluda Lines, connecting the Iberian Peninsula with northern Europe, the Canary Islands and West Africa. The company has a fleet of 17 vessels serving 33 ports in 14 countries.
Its corporate structure also includes Boluda Maritime Terminals, which manages ten maritime terminals, and Boluda Logistics, which specializes in intermodal transport, warehousing and land distribution by road and rail.
The acquisition of Samskip will add the Dutch company’s services and assets to this structure, with maritime and land connections set to be reorganized to create the joint network.
The final closing of the deal is subject to approval by the competent authorities and fulfillment of the conditions set out in the agreement. Until the process is completed, which is expected on January 1, 2027, Boluda Shipping and Samskip will continue operating independently.
