Shippers will soon have the option to ship partial shiploads to Europe directly from the port of Thunder Bay. Spliethoff Group, an Amsterdam-based ship management company, will begin regular cargo service between the Great Lakes and Europe next season, augmenting a similar service currently offered in Cleveland. The monthly service will provide direct shipping access between Thunder Bay and Europe, including the Baltic States and Russia.
The service will accommodate shipper-owned containers, pallet-wide line-supplied containers, rolling machinery and rolling heavy equipment, as well as project cargo, breakbulk, bulk and steel cargoes. One of Spliethoff’s vessels is currently at the port of Thunder Bay delivering project cargo from Europe. MV Muntgracht docked at Keefer Terminal to begin offloading a shipment of wind turbine parts destined for Western Canada.
Thunder Bay is Canada’s furthest inland port, offering close proximity to Western Canadian provinces and territories. Keefer Terminal has extensive experience handling project cargoes, windmill equipment and heavy lifts, with expansive indoor and outdoor laydown areas, intermodal yard, on-dock service by CN and CP railways, and a Liebherr mobile harbour crane.