A production facility for sustainable and high-performance photovoltaic modules is taking shape in the south Italian town of Catania, the largest gigafactory of its kind in Europe. Container carrier Hapag-Lloyd partnered with logistics company Expeditors Projects & Energy Services to deliver the project cargo to the site in Italy. 

Hapag-Lloyd and Expeditors supplied more than 220 TEU of cargo from Taiwan and South Korea for the project, 60 percent of which were out of gauge. Furthermore, the deliveries had to meet a tight installation schedule at their destination in Catania. The schedule was well suited for Hapag-Lloyd’s MD2 service, which calls at Kaohsiung, Pusan and the transshipment port Genoa.

Planning since August 2022

Our Special Cargo Sales Team in Hamburg began to coordinate on the project with Expeditors project division in August 2022, with the project itself starting in December. Since then, the Corporate Sales Team in Hamburg has been in regular contact with the regional management of Expeditors in Asia and Europe, while Hapag-Lloyd’s Special Cargo Sales Experts in Taiwan and Korea provided timely and competitive rate offers and took care of a smooth booking process. Expeditors provided accurate volume forecasts and a clear picture of the project’s timeline, allowing us to serve them with equipment and space in due course.

“This special cargo business showcases the importance of effective communication and coordination between different Regions and Departments,” says Nico Dencker, Sales Manager Special Cargo at Hapag-Lloyd. “Due to our close alignment amongst all stakeholders, this has been a very successful project.”

As of April 2023, four shipments have been completed. Five additional shipments are planned until the end of the year.

“The partnership with Expeditors demonstrates how strategic collaborations can lead to successful outcomes and drive business growth for both companies,” Benjamin Thümmler, Director Reefer & Special Products, Corporate Sales Execution at Hapag-Lloyd summarizes. “We are looking forward to working with Expeditors again in the future.”