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Spanish maritime group opens regional headquarters in Dutch port after decade of growth, positioning Rotterdam as command centre for 138-vessel towage fleet and expanding short-sea network.
Boluda Corporación Marítima has officially inaugurated its Netherlands headquarters in Rotterdam’s historic Maritime Quarter, consolidating a decade of Northern European expansion and signalling further ambitions in one of the continent’s busiest maritime corridors .
The building was formally opened by Vicente Boluda Fos, Chairman of Boluda Corporación Marítima, alongside Vicente Boluda Ceballos, Executive President of Boluda Towage; Ignacio Boluda Ceballos, Executive President of Boluda Shipping; and Verónica Boluda Ceballos, Chief Corporate Officer . The ceremony drew senior port and government officials, including René de Vries, Harbour Master of the Port of Rotterdam, and Ana Núñez, Director General of the Merchant Marine at Spain’s Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility .
Strategic anchor in Northern European logistics
Northwest Europe has become a critical region for Boluda, concentrating some of the continent’s most important logistics, industrial and maritime hubs . The new headquarters will serve as the operational nerve centre for both Boluda Towage and Boluda Shipping across Northern Europe.
Boluda Towage first entered the region in 2017 through Germany, subsequently expanding into the Netherlands, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Finland and Norway . Rotterdam has emerged as one of its primary operational hubs, with the towage division now operating in more than 21 ports across the region with a fleet of 138 vessels and locally based crews .
“These new headquarters reflect our long-term commitment to Northern Europe and our ambition to continue growing alongside our customers and partners in this strategic region,” said Vicente Boluda Ceballos, Executive Chairman of Boluda Towage .
Short-sea integration and intermodal push
Boluda Shipping strengthened its regional footprint in 2023 by launching regular short-sea services connecting the Iberian Peninsula with the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Ireland . The company has since introduced a weekly container service linking Santander, Tilbury and Rotterdam, operated by an 800-TEU vessel, with transit times of three days to Tilbury and a further two days to Rotterdam .
The Rotterdam route provides a competitive alternative to road and ferry transport for containerised goods, with significantly lower CO2 emissions per mile, according to the company . The service also offers onward connections from Spain to the Canary Islands, Cape Verde and West Africa .
“Our business model delivers integrated logistics solutions by connecting maritime transport, terminals, rail and road into a coordinated supply chain, providing flexibility, efficiency and end-to-end support for our customers,” said Ignacio Boluda Ceballos, Executive Chairman of Boluda Shipping .
Digital integration and security
Boluda Lines recently joined the Secure Chain initiative at the Port of Rotterdam, becoming one of the first short-sea shipping lines to adopt the web-based container release system that eliminates PIN codes to prevent fraud . The system, already used for 95% of deepsea container cargo at Rotterdam, now covers short-sea operators including Boluda Lines, CMA CGM Short Sea Lines, Mann Lines and Sea-Cargo Agencies .
“Because we were one of the first parties in the shortsea sector to go live, I was initially concerned that the switch might put us at a competitive disadvantage. In practice, the opposite has proven true though,” said Arjen van den Bos, Customer Service Specialist at Boluda Lines .
Global context
Boluda Towage is the world’s largest towage operator, with more than 850 vessels across 232 ports on five continents . Boluda Shipping continues to expand its maritime transport and intermodal logistics services, connecting Northern Europe with the Iberian Peninsula, West Africa and Cape Verde through its Boluda Lines brand, which operates 11 maritime services serving 33 ports in 14 countries .
The Rotterdam headquarters opening follows recent acquisitions including Finnish harbour towage and icebreaker company Yxpila Hinaus-Bogsering in October 2024, which gave Boluda entry into the Scandinavian market with six icebreaking vessels operating in the Gulf of Bothnia .
“These offices bring our teams together in one of Europe’s leading maritime hubs and reflect the collaborative spirit that continues to drive our international growth,” said Verónica Boluda Ceballos, Chief Corporate Officer of Boluda Corporación Marítima .
