Automotive World
Forty-five additional wagons will make the journey from Saint-Nazaire port in France to Tangier port in Morocco by the end of 2019.
Forty-five additional wagons will make the journey from Saint-Nazaire port in France to Tangier port in Morocco by the end of 2019. A total of 47 wagons will transport new vehicles on the railway connecting Tangier to Kenitra, where Groupe PSA will inaugurate a new plant. Production capacity for the Kenitra plant is expected to reach 200,000 vehicles per year by 2020.
A unique challenge in terms of industrial requirements and capabilities, this project demonstrates the strong partnership between Groupe PSA and GEFCO.
Supporting Groupe PSA’s growth in Kenitra
The connection between Kenitra and Tangier will help Groupe PSA meet its ambitious goals for the new plant. Production in Kenitra is expected to reach 100,000 vehicles per year in 2019 and then 200,000 from 2020 onwards.
GEFCO’s team across the world collaborated to ensure the success of every step of this complex operation: routing wagons from Saint Nazaire port in France, refurbishing and customizing the wagons, loading them onto a ship and delivering them to Tangier port. The wagons will be operated by Moroccan National Railways Office (ONCF), transporting vehicles from Groupe PSA’s plant in Kenitra to Tangier port, before they are exported to Europe.
“We’re very pleased Groupe PSA has trusted GEFCO with this exciting project and we’re confident we have the right expertise and capabilities to make it a success, explained Anne Lambusson, Executive Vice President in Charge of the Groupe PSA account at GEFCO. GEFCO’s unique supply chain expertise enables us to rise to this extraordinary challenge and we’re very much looking forward to contributing to our customer’s growth strategy.”
Consolidating GEFCO’s strong position in Africa
Through this project, GEFCO is supporting Groupe PSA’s ambitious development strategy in Morocco and in Africa more widely. The car manufacturer plans to make Kenitra a leading industrial hub and has already started developing a dedicated network.
This project will also further reinforce GEFCO’s position in Morocco. In January 2018, GEFCO announced its acquisition of GLT, a Europe-Morocco transport specialist and a leading operator of the gateway between Algeciras and Tangier. Today, GEFCO Morocco is a leader in the country’s supply chain sector and expects to double its workforce soon to support its future growth.
SOURCE: GEFCO
