DP World has announced a £1 billion ($1.3 billion) expansion of London Gateway with the aim of making it Britain’s largest container port within five years.
DP World will increase the capacity of London Gateway’s port by building two new shipping berths, taking the total to six berths able to receive the world’s largest containerships.
The site will also see a second rail terminal added to handle the expected increase in containerised trade.
By the end of the decade, the full quayside stretching more than 2.5 kilometres in length will be able to simultaneously receive six vessels, each more than 400 metres long.
The expansion will reportedly create 400 permanent new jobs, in addition to the 1,200 currently employed at the site.
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The expansion will take the total invested by DP World at London Gateway to more than £3 billion ($3.9 billion). The site has most recently seen the addition of a £350 million ($456.9 million) fourth berth, the first to be powered entirely by electricity, and which will soon accept its first ship.
Subject to planning approval and regulatory requirements, the expansion is expected to significantly increase the volume of trade at the port which currently handles approximately nearly 2 million TEU annually.
Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Group Chairman & Chief Executive Officer at DP World, said: “DP World London Gateway will help make Britain’s trade flow in the future by connecting domestic exporters with global markets and delivering vital supply chain resilience for the whole economy.
“I am proud of this major investment which underlines DP World’s long-term commitment to the UK.”
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Ernst Schulze, Chief Executive Officer for Ports & Terminals at DP World UK, said: “As this commitment demonstrates, London Gateway’s location and transport infrastructure are ideally placed for expansion.
“With extra capacity comes the reliability and supply chain resilience so important to our customers and consumers, especially in uncertain times such as the pandemic and disruption due to geopolitical events.”
Late last month, DP World launched a second weekly rail service connecting the London Gateway and Southampton logistics hubs.
