Scottish company, Dutch port in talks about new ferry line

A Scottish company and a Dutch port are in talks about launching a new ferry line ahead of Britain's possible departure from the European Union, a port spokesman said on Wednesday.

The ferry line would run between Rosyth, near Edinburgh, and Groningen Seaport at Eemshaven, in the far north of the Netherlands near the German border, according to RTV Noord, which named the company as TEC Offshore. A spokesman for Groningen Seaport confirmed the plan was being investigated but referred questions to "the Scottish side". A spokesman for TEC Offshore declined immediate comment.

"Nice that the Scots see Groningen as the gateway to Europe," Dutch Deputy Prime Minister Kasja Ollengren tweeted in response to the news. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has pledged that Britain will leave the EU on Oct. 31, with or without a negotiated exit deal. Critics of this approach have said that leaving without a deal could lead to lengthy customs delays on existing freight routes.

Scottish sea passengers usually travel between Newcastle, England and Ijmuiden, the Netherlands at present. According to the RTV Noord report, the project would make use of Stena Line ferry boats.

It quoted TEC director David Kellas as saying it would be difficult to have the line running by the presumptive Brexit date of Oct. 31, "but we're an ambitious company." Groningen Seaport spokesman Erik Bertholet said it was not certain Eemshaven is ready to receive passenger traffic.

"That is still part of what we're studying," he said, referring further questions to TEC.

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