Tailwind’s expanded Dolphin Express will run on a 21-day loop starting in Moerdijk, the Netherlands. From there, vessels will sail south to Antwerp in Belgium, Setúbal in Portugal, Cádiz in Spain and Casablanca in Morocco before reaching Barcelona.
On the northbound leg, the ships will return directly from Barcelona to Moerdijk, where cargo can be moved inland via barge links to Duisburg.
Three 1,380-TEU vessels from Tailwind’s fleet – Panda 004, Panda 005 and Panda 003 – will be deployed on the route. The new schedule will operate weekly, maintaining regular departures for customers.
Tailwind says the expansion is aimed at making goods flows within Europe more efficient and sustainable.
“Thanks to the higher cargo capacity of modern ships, sea transport has the advantage of lower CO₂ emissions per container transported compared to transport by conventional diesel trucks,” said Nico Peters, VP Commercial Management at Tailwind Shipping Lines.
The company highlights that the extended rotation offers shippers a short-sea alternative to road haulage along the Western European corridor. By adding Antwerp, Setúbal, Cádiz and Casablanca, Tailwind aims to serve both Lidl’s logistics network and third-party customers with additional port options.
The new Casablanca call will also open up a direct link between Morocco and China. In Barcelona, containers can be transshipped to the Panda Express Service bound for East Asia.
Tailwind’s other services – the Panda Express between China and the Mediterranean and the Tiger Express connecting Bangladesh, Malaysia, Vietnam and Sri Lanka – will continue to operate as scheduled.
