London Gateway is now due to become the UK’s largest container port within 5 years, following confirmation that a £1 billion expansion is set to go ahead.
DP World have confirmed plans to build two new berths, upgrading the port to six berths, which will increase capacity and its ability to efficiently handle modern Ultra Large Container Vessels (UCLVs).
By the end of this decade, the quay will stretch to more than 1.5 miles and be able to cope with six 400m long vessels simultaneously, utilising the biggest quay cranes in Europe, similar in height to Big Ben.
The plans include the building of a second rail freight terminal to handle the increase in container trade, and according to the company, the expansion will create an additional 400 permanent new jobs.
The announcement was almost shelved last week when a government minister called for a boycott of DP World subsidiary P&O Ferries. Transport Secretary Louise Haigh called P&O a ‘cowboy operator’, referring to the company’s actions in 2022 when 800 British employees were replaced.
However, Prime Minister Keir Starmer later confirmed that calls for a boycott were “not the view of the government”.
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