Work on a new all-electric fourth berth at DP World’s London Gateway smart logistics centre began on Monday, according to the Dubai-owned ports giant.
The £350 million project, which expands upon DP World’s £2 billion investment in Britain over the previous 10 years, is said to increase the resiliency of the UK supply chain.
When completed in 2024, it will increase London Gateway’s capacity by a third, providing it with more space to accommodate the largest ships in the world more than any other port in the nation.
The new all-electric berth will make DP World able to offer flexibility and choice to their clients when moving their goods into and out of the United Kingdom.
“I am pleased that we have taken the next step in the delivery of the new fourth berth and made clear our commitment to investing in and improving the places where we operate.”
“We have set aside an additional £1 billion for investments in this nation over the next 10 years,” said Ernst Schulze, UK Chief Executive of DP World.
“The construction of the new all-electric fourth berth will create 1,000 new jobs, and London Gateway’s quickly expanding logistics park will employ 12,000 people when it is completed in five years,” he added.
Director of Civil Engineering for McLaughlin & Harvey, Seamus Devlin, stated: “We are thrilled to have been granted the contract with DP World and to start constructing this crucial piece of national infrastructure. We have a lot of experience in the marine industry and are eager to work with our regional supply chain and support the local economy by creating local jobs.”
DP World operates two deep water ports at London Gateway and Southampton that have access to freight rail terminals and a fast-growing logistics park right outside of the capital. Deep-water entry and exit points to and from the country provided by DP World ports offer flexibility to shipping lines, cargo owners and exporters.
DP World said in July that London Gateway handled more than one million TEU in the six months between January and June, setting a record for the port. With a combined total of 1,937,000 TEU in the first half of the year, DP World’s ports in the UK handled a record amount of cargo when throughput at Southampton is taken into account.
The deep sea port, which once housed a Shell oil refinery, is supported by its own international rail terminal and is outfitted with top-of-the-line machinery, including some of the biggest quay cranes in the world. Many processes in the deep sea port are also automated, including the truck handling process and the stacking yard.
London Gateway benefits from its location near the major consumer markets in the UK, which are in the capital and the South East, being only 28 miles from London and 10 miles from the M25.
