Danish ship operator DFDS Seaways has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Scottish Government and Forth Ports, allowing the company to manage the Rosyth-Zeebrugge freight shipping service.
DFDS Seaways’s services previously came under threat due to an EU directive on sulphur levels.
DFDS CEO Niels Smedegaard said: "We are very pleased to be able to continue this freight route for the benefit of our customers, for whom it was important to safeguard their transport business between Belgium and Scotland.
"We have always been very committed to this route and we are very satisfied that with good dialogue with the Scottish Government and Forth Ports we were able to find a solution to maintain the service in light of the forthcoming sulphur requirements, which will pose enormous challenges for the transport industry."
Rosyth-Zeebrugge remains the only freight service between Scotland and Continental Europe.
With this agreement, DFDS Seaways will able to continue with the current sailing schedule, in which the vessel Finlandia Seaways offers three services a week.
In addition, the Rosyth terminal of Forth Ports will undergo infrastructure development work to permit double-stacking of containers onboard the vessel.
According to Scotland First Minister Alex Salmond, a vessel will be constructed over the next two years to comply with the new regulations in addition to Scottish Government support. It will replace the existing vessel, The Courier.co.uk reported.
