The alliance between Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd has announced a series of optimizations in their main commercial routes that position the Bay port as a stopover on two distinct services: the NE4 (Far East–North Europe) and the SE1 (Far East–Mediterranean). The changes consolidate Algeciras's position as a reference transshipment hub in the western Mediterranean.
One year after its launch, the Gemini Cooperation maintains a reliability of 90% in its operations, as both shipping companies highlight. The new configuration, whose implementation will begin in April, aims to strengthen the main commercial routes without altering the global coverage of the network.
Algeciras, gateway to the Adriatic on the SE1 route The most significant addition for the Port of Algeciras occurs in the SE1 service, which connects the Far East with the Mediterranean. Algeciras will enter as a stop both westbound and eastbound, acting as a connection node with the Adriatic ports of Koper (Slovenia) and Rijeka (Croatia).
The full rotation of the SE1 will be configured as follows: Ningbo – Shanghai – Tanjung Pelepas – Algeciras – Koper – Rijeka – Algeciras – Singapore.
Gemini ensures that this configuration will offer industry-leading transit times for Spain and adjacent markets, in addition to significantly improving connections with the Adriatic thanks to the optimized rotation.
Consolidated presence on the NE4 route to Northern Europe In the NE4 service, which connects the Far East with Northern Europe, Algeciras remains the last European stop before returning to Asia via Tanjung Pelepas. The elimination of the Baltic loop in this service — which now absorbs the NE3 — allows the NE4 to offer one of the fastest and most direct connections between Ningbo and Germany.
The rotation of the NE4 will be: Qingdao – Ningbo – Tanjung Pelepas – London Gateway – Bremerhaven – Hamburg – Rotterdam – Algeciras – Tanjung Pelepas.
Optimizations across the entire East-West network Gemini's adjustments for 2026 affect the entire network. On the routes between the Far East and Northern Europe, the NE2 will incorporate a direct stop in Antwerp to expand its reach to the Benelux, while the NE3 will introduce a Baltic rotation with stops in Aarhus and Gothenburg.
In the Mediterranean, the SE3 will be updated to 20,000 TEU vessels, increasing capacity and service resilience. Its simplified rotation will include stops in Port Said and the new hub terminal in Damietta (Egypt), while Istanbul and Izmit will be served through dedicated feeder connections.
Both shipping companies have indicated that, when the situation allows, the SE1 and SE3 services could reconfigure their rotations to transit through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. A change that, if materialized, would alter transit times and could modify the role of some ports in the current rotations.
The previously announced adjustments on the transpacific and transatlantic routes remain unchanged, ensuring continuity and stability across the network.
Algeciras's presence in two Gemini services — one Mediterranean and another long-haul to Northern Europe — reinforces the port's relevance in Maersk's global strategy. APM Terminals Algeciras, a subsidiary of the Danish group, operates the main container terminal in the port area and is one of the 12 hubs designated by Gemini, with between 42,000 and 43,000 committed weekly container movements.