OPDR, as part of the CMA CGM Group, has announced the 500th voyage of its Con/Ro vessel OPDR Canarias. The vessel completed its 500th voyage with the calling at the Port of Seville on November 22nd. Since it was put into service in 2006, the vessel has travelled an astonishing distance of 750,000 nautical miles – which equates to 34 times around the globe.
When the construction of the Con/Ro vessel OPDR Canarias was completed in China in 2006, it set course for its destination and designated operating region: The Canary Islands and Spain. Ten years and 500 voyages later, the OPDR Canarias is still successfully deployed in this region and reliably operates between the ports of Seville, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Arrecife de Lanzarote. Up to now, the 145-meter long vessel with a gross tonnage of 11,300GT has travelled a distance equivalent to 34 times the length of the equator or twice the distance to the moon and back.
Since 2006, six different Captains were in charge for a total of 2.5 million tons of cargo, including extraordinary shipments such as helicopters, an entire “Cirque du Soleil” as well as all the equipment for a “Disney on Ice” show. Naturally, the Con/Ro vessel OPDR Canarias also transported plenty of rolling cargo – a total of 50,000 wheeled units such as cars, trucks and busses.
Till Ole Barrelet, Chief Executive Officer of OPDR, states: “500 voyages within just 10 years is a great achievement for a short sea vessel in this trade. Not many vessels in Spain have performed that well in such a short time span. We are looking forward to many more successful years to come.”
Both the OPDR Canarias and its sister vessel OPDR Andalucía are deployed in the SECI service and were specially adapted to the conditions of the Guadalquivir river, Seville’s gateway to the world. OPDR also perfectly connects the Port of Seville with the Spanish inland: Five trains per week link Spain’s capital Madrid with Seville and eventually with the Canary Islands.
About OPDR
The Oldenburg-Portugiesische Dampfschiffs-Rhederei (OPDR) has offered transport solutions within Europe as well as to and from Morocco for over 130 years. As a logistics company OPDR today offers tailor-made integrated supply chain solutions. A strong network in more than 25 European, North and West African countries ensures high standards of reliability and quality. The OPDR headquarters is based in Hamburg. The company employs over 250 people. Since July 2015, the OPDR Group is part of the CMA CGM Group and teams up with the UK-based MacAndrews & Company Ltd. Since July 2015, the OPDR Group is part of the CMA CGM Group and teams up with the UK-based MacAndrews & Company Ltd.
About CMA CGM
CMA CGM, founded and led by Jacques R. Saadé is a leading worldwide shipping group. Its 536 vessels call more than 420 ports in the world, on all 5 continents. In 2015, they carried 18 million TEUs. CMA CGM has grown continuously, and has been constantly innovating to offer its clients new sea, land and logistics solutions. With a presence in 160 countries, through its 600 agencies network, the Group employs 29,000 people worldwide, including 2,400 in its headquarter in Marseilles.