London Gateway port to open in 2013
October 4th 2011 London Gateway, the new global shipping port and logistics centre project, will open in the fourth quarter of 2013 with an initial capacity of 1.6 million TEU (twenty foot equivalent container units).
By locating Britain’s most environmentally friendly major new port and what is set to become Europe’s largest logistics park on London’s doorstep, UK business will soon be able to take advantage of a more cost effective, greener way of getting the nation’s goods to consumers.
DP World, the Dubai headquartered group that is the world’s third largest port
operator, has been laying the foundations for the new port since early 2010 and is expecting to invest a further $1 billion in London Gateway over the next three years.
London Gateway is expected to become the premier UK logistics centre. Once complete, the new port and park facility will save UK business millions of pounds every year in land transport costs. An estimated 65 million road freight miles every year will be saved as many goods will no longer need to be transported from deep sea ports to inland distribution centres. Instead, goods will be sent straight into the new London Gateway Logistics Park and then directly to shops and homes.
The company also today moved to award four major port equipment contracts. ZPMC will provide eight quay cranes, which will be the largest
in the world, able to handle the next generation container vessels of 18,000 TEU capacity. ZPMC will also provide rail mounted gantry cranes for the port’s rail terminal. Cargotec will provide automated stacking cranes and straddle carriers to be used in the port.
DP World announced the creation of an extra 1,000 new jobs for the UK, 700 new construction jobs and 300 new port jobs will be created in the coming months. Estimates predict that as many as 36,000 jobs will be created in the long term from the project, providing some £3.2 billion to the UK economy each year.
Shipping Minister Mike Penning said: “This is an excellent example of the type of investment we will be supporting through our Logistics Growth Review, where we are aiming to create the right conditions for private sector-led investment.
"It demonstrates how a focus on growth, innovation and encouraging private sector investment will help us to create the jobs that are so vital to the UK’s recovery. This new port and logistics centre will form a central part of our nation’s future infrastructure so I am delighted to welcome this announcement today."
Simon Moore, chief executive of London Gateway said: “I’m very pleased to be able to take London Gateway forward to opening, our team is 100% committed to delivering supply chain savings from Q4 2013 onwards.
London Gateway will offer a unique proposition to British cargo owners. Importers and exporters will be provided greater choice and opportunity to take costs out of their supply chains and reduce their environmental impact.” More articles from Handling & Storage Solutions: | 
