- “Atlas” service will connect Agadir, Casablanca, London Gateway and Antwerp Gateway to transport higher quality fruit and vegetables, quicker with reduced cost
- Speed combined with reliability through DP World’s ports and terminals translates fresh produce from road to sea reducing carbon emissions by 70%
DP World is introducing a Morocco to UK and North Europe service that will reduce export times for fruit and veg shipments in the UK by a maximum of two days, providing retailers and consumers with better quality produce at lower prices and with a significantly lower carbon emissions footprint.
The new “Atlas” service links core hubs at Agadir and Casablanca in Morocco to DP World owned terminals and ports, London Gateway and Antwerp Gateway, utilising two purpose-built ships from November 2025. The service will also receive better quality produce into Antwerp for the European markets.
By shifting up to 150.000 tonnes of fresh food from road to sea annually, the route provides a size, sustainable logistics solution that lowers emissions by as much as 250kg CO₂/ton-km. This is 70% less than by trucking traditionally.
Unlike car transport on the 3,000+km route, the new shipping service bypasses congestion, spells of violent vandalism and delay at border stops while providing a smoother ride for fragile fruits like tomatoes and blueberries, which get damaged on rough roads.
The seaborne route, utilizing DP World-owned Unifeeder’s ships and reefer containers is also a sustainable option to the delays in the water crossings between Algeciras and Tangier and between Calais and Dover for UK-bound goods.
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Rashid Abdulla, MD and CEO, DP World Europe, stated: “We are introducing a tailored solution from Morocco to the UK and the Continent. The three main features of this service — reliability, rapid transit times and advanced IT platform — will give exporters and retailers an attractive alternative to present truck transportation and ensure better quality produce at reduced cost with a much lower carbon footprint.
DP World’s new fleet of refrigerated containers
To ensure condition and freshness, DP World has placed an investment in a fleet of 1,250 brand new, contemporary reefers. Furthermore, a fleet of 1,000 4′ high cube and 750 20′ dry containers, will meet increasing demand for general cargo streams between North Europe, the UK and Morocco. DP World will offer full visibility through its innovative CARGOES digital platform to offer a genuine end-to-end supply chain.
Morocco ships more than 6.5 million metric tonnes of fruits and vegetables into Western Europe each year, with volumes increasing more than 20% year by year. Trade policies and agreements are speeding this up, and sea freight is now a convenient and viable option for road.
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Markus Rodatz, COO Freight Europe, at DP World added: “We believe in creating smarter, more sustainable and more resilient supply chains. The new service provides growers and retailers with confidence their produce will be fresher, faster and in better condition, with emissions reduced by 70%. By investing in Morocco to the UK and the Continent, we’re making trade flow and enabling our customers to achieve their sustainability ambitions.”
DP World will officially inaugurates the new shipping service an event in Agadir, Morocco, on 18 September.
