The service provider is to develop a new new vehicle logistics business after reserving a 9.5-hectare site in the port of Dunkirk.

Following a Request for Expressions of Interest (AMI), Dunkerque-Port and CEVA Logistics have just announced the signature of a reservation contract for a 9.5-hectare plot of land (on the site of the former SRD refinery), on which the service provider will develop a new finished vehicle logistics business for import and export by sea.

Ceva has indicated that vehicle reception and storage areas will be created, as well as loading and unloading areas for trains and car-carrying trucks. Once the site has been developed, starting in October 2024, the CMA CGM subsidiary plans to handle some 47,000 vehicles a year, and to reach an annual volume of 95,000 vehicles by March 2025.

The construction of a 600 m² workshop will enable on-site preparation operations including washing, engraving, plate installation and other detailing and mechanical activities. A paint shop is also planned, as well as the installation of electric charging stations and a service station.

In the medium term, Ceva plans to double its capacity with an additional 10.5 ha plot, bringing the total surface area of its platform to 20 ha and the capacity of the park to 8,700 sites. In addition, the implementation of a rail spur will help to speed up turnaround times, by reserving 1 to 2 rail links per week, and by allocating, on a recurring basis, part of its own fleet of vehicle-carrying trucks.

"The launch of the new automotive logistics center at the Port of Dunkirk is a strategic development that will enable us to increase the efficiency and resilience of the supply chains of our customers, exporters and importers," says Mathieu Friedberg, CEO of Ceva Logistics.

RENAUD CHASLE