Hapag-Lloyd joins MOL Europe/West Africa loop

Hapag-Lloyd joins MOL Europe/West Africa loop    German container line Hapag-Lloyd said Friday it is joining an MOL service linking Europe with West Africa.
   The new service, dubbed WX2 by Hapag-Lloyd and ARN by MOL, has a rotation of Thamesport, Antwerp, Dakar, Tema, Lagos, Tincan, Abidjan, Vigo and Thamesport. It is operated with three MOL vessels with an average capacity of 2,022 TEUs, according to American Shipper affiliate ComPair Data.
   Hapag-Lloyd said the call in Vigo would be subject to demand, but the WX2 service will offer seasonal calls to the Ghanaian port of Takoradi.
   The rotation announced by Hapag-Lloyd differs slightly from the existing rotation, which includes calls at Zeebrugge and Tangiers. It was not immediately clear if the German carrier is joining as a slot buyer or vessel provider.
   Hapag-Lloyd's only other involvement in the Europe/West Africa trade comes via a three-ship service it operates with Zim, which Hapag-Lloyd calls WAX. That loop has a rotation of Amsterdam, Hamburg, Antwerp, Dakar, Lagos, Tema Abidjan, San Pedro and Amsterdam.