New Brexit Buster sister ship “MV Laureline” expands Dublin Port’s direct route cargo sailings to Europe
Dublin Port today announced that CLdN, the Luxembourg-based short-sea Ro-Ro shipping company and owner of the “Brexit Buster” MV Celine, has added its newly built ship “MV Laureline” onto its direct Ro-Ro freight service from Dublin Port to the Continental European ports of Zeebrugge and Rotterdam. After MV Celine, the MV Laureline is now the second biggest freight ferry to service Dublin Port. Having arrived on her maiden call overnight, she is expected to depart Dublin Port later today, Friday 29th March 2019 for the port of Zeebrugge.
The move will see CLdN’s service increase in total capacity by 20%, bringing the total possible number of direct sailings weekly offered by CLdN between Dublin Port and Continental Europe to seven. Operating out of Alexandra Basin, CLdN accounts for 40% of all units moved between Dublin Port and Continental Europe.
Departing Dublin Port on the original “Brexit Day” of March 29th, the ship offers additional capacity to customers needing direct shipping routes between Dublin and Continental Europe and is the latest addition to the CLdN fleet. Built in Ulsan, South Korea, the MV Laureline is the third new ship generation in the CLdN fleet to enter service in Dublin Port, following the MV Mazarine in 2010 and the MV Celine in 2018, both of which were christened in Dublin.
Dublin Port’s Alexandra Basin Redevelopment (ABR) Project broke ground in 2016 and has already delivered the first of new berths in time to accommodate expanding freight services on the next generation of super ferries. Ships such as MV Celine and MV Laureline would not be able to call to Dublin had the ABR Project not already commenced. The remainder of the works to redevelop two kilometres of existing berths in Alexandra Basin and deepen the approach channel to Dublin Port is due for completion in 2023.
CLdN currently operates 27 Ro-Ro vessels, offering more than 130 weekly sailings between the ports of Zeebrugge, Rotterdam, London, Killingholme, Dublin, Gothenburg, Esbjerg, Hirtshals, Santander, Porto, Flushing and Dagenham.