Boluda Shipping has signed an agreement to acquire the Matrans maritime terminal, located in Eemhaven, at the Port of Rotterdam. The deal will expand the Spanish company’s port infrastructure in Northern Europe and its capacity to provide maritime transport and intermodal logistics services. The agreement was formalized on November 3 and follows the planned acquisition of Samskip, announced by the group the previous week.
Both deals are part of Boluda Shipping’s international expansion strategy, which aims to integrate maritime services, port terminals and inland connections into a single logistics network. Both the purchase of Matrans and that of Samskip remain subject to regulatory approvals and the relevant closing conditions, so neither transaction has yet been completed.
The addition of Matrans will allow the company to expand its presence in one of Europe’s leading hubs for short-sea shipping (short sea shipping), with facilities handling different types of cargo and connections to the continent’s main transport corridors.
The Matrans terminal covers an area of 360,000 square meters, of which 70,000 are covered warehouses, and has 1,100 meters of berth frontage and a depth of 12.65 meters. Its facilities also include a dedicated berth for ro-ro traffic with a depth of nine meters and 600 meters of railway tracks, making it possible to combine maritime operations with inland transport.
Its multipurpose layout allows it to handle container traffic, forest products, metals, general cargo, project cargo (project cargo) and rolling transport units. These activities are complemented by customs management, tax representation, road transport and freight forwarding services for shipping companies, logistics operators and industrial businesses.
Plans announced for the terminal include measures to improve operational efficiency, increase cargo volumes handled and expand its capacity to respond to customers’ needs.
The acquisition of Matrans is part of the development of Boluda Shipping’s international terminal platform, which will reach 21 maritime facilities and five rail facilities when the planned transactions with Samskip are also completed. This structure will expand the company’s geographical coverage and connect its maritime services with port and rail facilities in various European markets.
Boluda Shipping’s strategy involves coordinating different modes of transport to facilitate the movement of goods between major production, distribution and consumption centers. In this model, terminals handle the loading, unloading, storage and transfer of goods between ships, trains and road vehicles.
Combining maritime and rail transport for long-distance routes with road transport for final distribution is one of the components of the intermodal model developed by the company. This approach reduces reliance on road-only transport and the CO₂ emissions associated with moving goods.
The planned purchase of Matrans also continues the Boluda Group’s operations in Northern Europe, where it operates through Boluda Shipping in maritime transport and logistics, and through Boluda Towage in the port towage sector.
Last June, the company opened new offices in Rotterdam as part of its establishment and development of operations in the region. With the acquisition of the Eemhaven terminal, Boluda Shipping will add new facilities to its port network and expand its range of services for operators using the Port of Rotterdam as a connection point between European markets and international maritime routes.
