Kuehne + Nagel has expanded its less-than-container-load (LCL) offering with a new hub in Busan, South Korea, reefer services from Europe to Australia and an Eco-Cargo initiative.

With LCL operations in more than 100 countries, this service spans the entire Kuehne + Nagel global network and continues to be in high-demand. These latest developments underline the company's commitment to continuously expanding its comprehensive global LCL offering, which features full supply chain visibility and monitoring via KN Login, Kuehne + Nagel's web-based information management system.

To meet growing market demand, Kuehne + Nagel has further extended its LCL service package in Asia-Pacific with the opening of a new hub in Busan. Busan is Kuehne + Nagel's fourth largest LCL hub in the region after Shanghai, Singapore and Colombo, and will offer 12 new direct services. Operated by Blue Anchor Line, Kuehne + Nagel's in-house NVOCC (Non Vessel Operating Common Carrier), these new connections feature weekly direct sailings between key markets within the Asia-Pacific region as well as from Asia-Pacific to Europe, North and Latin America. In total, the number of Kuehne + Nagel's self-operated weekly LCL services from Asia-Pacific now amounts to 430.

The new Busan hub strenghtens the company's gateway portfolio. Due to its geographical advantage, it offers considerable syngeries, particularly for direct services currently running from Korea to key markets in Latin America.

Kuehne + Nagel has launched new LCL reefer services from Europe to Australia. Shipments are collected from across the European continent and consolidated at the Kuehne + Nagel facility in Rungis/France, before being shipped directly to Melbourne via the French port of Le Havre. The company offers seamless logistics solutions for wine and confectionery (+ 15 degrees C), chilled goods (+ 4 degrees C) and frozen goods (" 18 degrees C).

The introduction of LCL Eco-Cargo sees Kuehne + Nagel offer its customers an advanced cost and carbon efficient product. Its objective is to substantially reduce the number of long distance groupage shipments, resulting in approximately 15 per cent lower carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and transportation costs. This is achieved by transporting full containers to an inland freight terminal before de-stuffing. Final distribution is then arranged from such terminals rather than from the port of arrival.

The Kuehne + Nagel LCL division additionally contributes to the company's overall green logistics targets by reducing CO2 emissions through recycling of used material, minimising trucking mileage and cooperating with ecologically operating partners. Furthermore, the company uses its own web-based LCL CO2 emission calculator to provide full transparency of CO2 emissions at shipment level, as well as carrying out continuous environmental assessments of all partners.