SAIC delivers MG volumes to Spanish port of Ferrol
SAIC Motor delivered its first 700 MG vehicles to the port of Ferrol in northern Spain in July.
The Anji Forever delivered 700 MGs to Ferrol port in July
The Chinese carmaker is looking at establishing its first European logistics base alongside its planned €200m ($230m) manufacturing plant in the Spanish region of Galicia.
In its business plan for 2026 SAIC states that it aims to “actively develop overseas ‘growth poles’ to seize structural market opportunities”. That includes focusing on overseas operations where it will “further strengthen end-to-end logistics capability building”.
The Port Authority of Ferrol-San Cibrao is working towards securing the necessary permits for SAIC’s manufacturing and logistics project and is working with several public authorities, including the Galician government, Puertos del Estrado – the governmental body overseeing Spain’s state-owned ports – and local councils.
Logistics partners
The MG vehicles delivered in July came aboard the Anji Forever, operated by SAIC’s logistics subsidiary, Anji Logistics, on July 8. The 228-metre-long vessel was launched in 2025 and has a capacity for 9,500 CEUs. The dual-fuel vessel is equipped to run on methanol as a low-emission alternative to maritime fuel oil.
Pérez Torres Marítima acted as both the shipping agent and stevedore at the port, with 50 staff responsible for unloading the 700 vehicles from the Anji vessel and parking them in 19,500 sq.m lot for onward distribution by road to Spanish and European dealerships. Pérez Torres Marítima is one of the companies operating within the Ferrol port community and has a proven track record in port operations, according to the port authority.
“The logistics operation carried out on 8-9 July has demonstrated that we have the necessary capacity and infrastructure for unloading vehicles,” said a spokesperson for the port authority, adding that it was working to meet any further logistics requirements. SAIC currently stores its vehicles at Ferro port under an operating licence granted by the port authority.
In terms of SAIC Motor’s further development of a dedicated vehicle terminal at Ferrol port, the spokesperson for the port authority said that over the next weeks it will be submitting all necessary legal documentation and further details will be released once they are processed.
“SAIC has applied for a concession in the outer harbour to launch the manufacturing and logistics project,” said the spokesperson. “That is what we are working on: ensuring they secure the land concession so that they can carry out the project.”
In addition to the planned manufacturing plant, SAIC has developed a logistics operation involving the unloading of vehicles and their distribution from Ferrol to its dealerships. The current operating licence at the port covers the 19,500 sq.m storage lot and if more space is required SAIC has the option to develop a second storage location.
The port of Ferrol contains a busy passenger cruise terminal as well as being home to national shipbuilder Navantia. It also contains a base for Spanish navy vessels and the prospect of a Chinese company establishing a base there has raised some questions about national security. However, the port authority said the outer port of Ferrol, where SAIC intends to site its vehicle terminal, is separate to other functions, not a dual-purpose location and is not used by the military.
