Global logistics giant DP World is moving ahead with a £1bn expansion of its London Gateway. On Monday, DP World confirmed the investment plan, which it said would expand London Gateway to become Britain’s largest container port within five years.
The Dubai-based giant 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 container ships.
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 2.5km in length will be able to simultaneously receive six vessels, each more than 400 metres long, and boast Europe’s tallest quay cranes at the height of the Big Ben.
The expansion would create a further 400 permanent new jobs, reads the company’s statement.
The expansion will take the total invested by DP World at London Gateway to more than £3bn, DP World said, converting the site of a former oil refinery into one of the UK’s largest and most important logistics hubs.
The site has most recently seen the addition of a £350m fourth berth, the first to be powered entirely by electricity, and which will soon accept its first ship.
Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, group chairman and 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.”
The expansion is expected to significantly increase the volume of trade at the port which currently handles approximately nearly 2 million TEU annually.
