The Danish shipping and logistics company plans to acquire the company (a division of the German FRS) that offers three ferry routes across the Strait of Gibraltar connecting Spain and Morocco.

FRS Iberia/Maroc operates the Algeciras-Tanger Med (with two own ro-paxes and one chartered/shared ro-ro), Algeciras-Ceuta (two own high-speed catamarans, HSC), and Tarifa-Tanger Ville (two HSCs, one owned and the other chartered) crossings.

In 2023, a total of 2.3m freight lane metres, 1.9m passengers, and 370k cars are expected to be transported by FRS Iberia/Maroc, giving the company a market share of 28-30% (dependent on the segment). All three market parts are expected to grow 5-10% annually for the next three years, says DFDS.

"We are excited to expand our network to one of Europe's significant ferry markets that we expect will continue to show high growth underpinned by the ongoing nearshoring of supply chains to Europe," Torben Carlsen, DFDS' CEO, commented.

Mathieu Girardin, Head of the company's Ferry Division and its EVP, added, "This is a great opportunity to scale DFDS' business model. We will apply our capabilities and experience, not least from the Channel short-sea market, to further develop the Strait of Gibraltar ferry infrastructure while supporting regional tourism and trade."

Photo: FRS Iberia/Maroc/DFDS