New Morocco–UK sea link to deliver fresher produce with lower costs

According to DP World, the “Atlas” service – scheduled to begin in November – will connect Agadir and Casablanca with the company’s London Gateway and Antwerp Gateway ports, using two dedicated vessels. The company expects the route to shift up to 150,000 tonnes of produce from road to sea each year, offering a large-scale alternative to Europe’s congested trucking corridors.

Faster, fresher and less exposed to disruption

Fresh produce such as tomatoes and blueberries, often damaged on long road journeys, will travel under refrigerated conditions in DP World’s newly purchased fleet of 1,250 reefer containers. By avoiding Europe’s 3,000-kilometre road haulage route – with its congestion, vandalism incidents and border delays – the sea link is designed to deliver better quality goods at lower cost.

The company also highlighted operational resilience.

“We are launching a bespoke solution from Morocco to the UK and the Continent,” said Rashid Abdulla, MD and CEO of DP World Europe.

He argued that reliability and faster transit times would give exporters and retailers a genuine alternative to trucking, with lower emissions built in.

Scaling up to meet Morocco’s export growth

Morocco exports more than 6.5 million tonnes of fruit and vegetables annually to Western Europe, and DP World says volumes are rising by over 20% year-on-year. This growth, coupled with supportive trade agreements, makes sea freight a timely alternative, according to the company.

To meet anticipated demand beyond perishable cargo, DP World is also adding 1,000 40-foot high-cube and 750 20-foot dry containers for general cargo flows between Morocco, the UK and northern Europe. The company plans to integrate the service with its CARGOES digital platform, giving customers full visibility across the supply chain.

Sustainability as a selling point

The logistics provider stresses that emissions on the new route will be cut by around 250kg of CO₂ per tonne-kilometre compared with road. Markus Rodatz, Chief Operating Officer for Freight Europe at DP World, said the new line is “a smarter, more sustainable and more resilient” option that will help retailers and growers meet their own climate goals.

The initiative comes as congestion on road and ferry routes – particularly Tangier–Algeciras and Calais–Dover – continues to challenge exporters. By providing a maritime corridor tailored for perishables, DP World is positioning itself to capture a greater share of northbound Moroccan exports.

The company will formally unveil the “Atlas” service at an event in Agadir on 18 September, followed by industry presentations at Fruit Attraction in Madrid at the end of the month.