DP World London Gateway Port is open for business

After more than a decade of planning and construction across three square miles of development, the DP World London Gateway deepsea port is now open, providing British exporters and importers with a more efficient way to ship globally, at less cost.

The MOL Caledon was welcomed by DP World chairman Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, vice chairman Jamal Majid Bin Thaniah, group CEO Mohammed Sharaf, chairman of MOL Liner Junichiro Ikeda, and a host of shipping and logistics representatives.

London Gateway is located closer to major population centres of London, Birmingham and Manchester than other ports capable of handling the world’s biggest ships. The new port will reduce transport costs for exporters and importers by reducing millions of trucking miles to and from supply chains.

The port also provides 21st Century infrastructure for shipping lines that are building bigger ships. DP World, a leading global port operator with more than 65 marine terminals across six continents, including new developments, built Britain’s new port for today’s and the next generation of ships. Known as ‘ultra large container ships’ (ULCS), they are up to 400m long and can carry over 18,000 containers.

The first scheduled ship to dock at the port, operated by MOL Liner, received exports and delivered containers carrying a variety of cargo, including fruit and automotive parts, to be distributed across the country in just a few days. The MOL Caledon is part of the South African Europe Container Service (SAECS), which is a consortium of shipping lines including MOL, Maersk, DAL and Safmarine.

Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, chairman, DP Worldsaid: “We are proud and pleased to be able to contribute to the UK economy by building and operating this state of the art modern infrastructure that will support trade growth far into the future. This is the first port to be built in the UK in a generation and so there is nothing else like this in the country. From today, shipping lines can now bring the world’s largest ships closer to key UK markets and reduce the costs of transportation. At the same time, global businesses can make their supply chains more efficient. It’s a real pleasure to be able to stand side by side with MOL on this historic day.”

Junichiro Ikeda, chairman of MOL Liner attended the opening ceremony and said: “I’m delighted to be here on this historic day at the opening of DP World’s London Gateway. We believe that the new port, through its modern facilities and convenient links to the business community, will provide us the perfect platform to continue the efficient and reliable services MOL is committed to offering its UK customers. The conditions at London Gateway, like draft and tides also gives us the opportunity to grow further through the introduction of bigger ships and a further expansion of our network. It’s a promising new port for a great country.”

Your Maritime Journal correspondent has visited the site periodically from the commencement of dredging and land reclaimation early in March 2010. The rate of progress throughout has been staggering and now one berth is operational and two others are rapidly nearing completion. In addition to the massive, state of the art quayside container cranes, a whole fleet of straddle carriers and container stacking bays with computer controlled stacking cranes are being put in position and rapidly commissioned. Lorry traffic makes use of ‘state of the art’ loading bays, served by the stacking cranes and needing no access to the quayside.

A further five berths, all constructed and equipped in the same manner, are to be built and and commissioned at a rate dependent on the growth in demand.

The rail terminal is impressive and already in use. This facility runs parallel to the quay and is equipped to enable containers to be taken rapidly to and from the stacking bays to flatbed rail wagons for transportation.

DB Schenker Rail UK made history prior to the official opening when it operated the first intermodal train from London Gateway to transport cargo from the fire damaged ship ZIM Rotterdam that called to remove vital cargo shortly before the opening. DB Schenker Rail UK will also provide track maintenance and operational services at the new rail terminal.

Work on contruction of the planned logistics park and its infrastructure is well in hand. Retailer Marks & Spencer will be the first occupier and many others, plying a wide range of commodities, are expected to follow.

An entirely new access road is virtually complete and vitally important improvements are taking place at junctions on the A13 trunk road, intended to improve traffic flow to the motorway network. Close to the entrance DP World London Gateway has built its impressive new headquarters, in sight of the Thames and the new port. If the current rate of progress is maintained, that headquarters will become a very busy facility indeed.

By Jack Gaston