Flying the Portuguese flag and manned by a Portuguese crew, the new vessel represents one of the company’s largest investments in the last five years, when it renewed its container fleet. This investment is designed to fully meet the specific requirements of operations on the island of Madeira and to address the real needs of the local community. The Ilha da Madeira, which is 127 metres long and has a deadweight of 8,450 tonnes, is equipped with two cranes with a capacity of over 45 tonnes and can reach a maximum speed of 16 knots. It can carry over 710 TEUs (of which 100 are reefers). These characteristics enable it to operate at an appropriate speed and with great efficiency in port, providing the Madeira Expresso service with greater capacity. For Matthieu Roger, CEO of Transinsular, the acquisition of the vessel “Ilha da Madeira” is another key step in consolidating the operations of the company and the ETE Group, which is of enormous importance to the island communities. “We are committed to these communities and economic stakeholders, and the acquisition of this new vessel is a symbol of that commitment and a sign of Transinsular’s closeness to the Madeiran community, demonstrating that we remain attentive to meeting their genuine needs.” He also points out that “the fact that it is a Portuguese vessel, with a Portuguese crew, also shows that we are committed to Portugal’s development and to qualified professionals in the sector, whilst promoting job creation in the country.” The new vessel, the “Ilha da Madeira”, now joins the Transinsular fleet, comprising the Monte Brasil, Monte da Guia, Ponta do Sol, Insular and São Jorge, which have been providing Transinsular’s regular service to the Autonomous Regions of Madeira and the Azores for over 40 years.

With this acquisition, the ETE Group reinforces its commitment to regular freight transport services in the region, by investing in the company’s capacity to meet the needs of the islands.

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