by Lloyd's List

24 March 2025 (Lloyd's List) - CONSTRUCTION of two new berths at London Gateway will begin in May, after operator DP World was granted approval for the £1bn ($1.3bn) project.

The Dubai-based company said it would take four years to complete the expansion project it announced last year, which will see two new 400 metre electric berths and a second rail terminal built at the London container port.

Group chief executive Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem said DP World had invested more than £5bn in its UK operations, providing 5,500 jobs. He hosted the UK minister for state investment, Baroness Poppy Gustafsson, at the port to discuss the project and the 400 permanent new jobs that will be created through the expansion.

"DP World's expansion in London Gateway will turbocharge the UK's logistics sector and help deliver the long-term, stable growth that supports skilled jobs and raises living standards across the UK," Gustafsson said.

Approval was secured following "close collaboration" with Thurrock Council (which oversees the port) and the UK Government's Marine Management Organisation, DP World said. 

Just last week, London Gateway welcomed the first vessel calling under the agreement with the Gemini alliance between Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk.

Singapore-flagged, 10,000 teu Maersk Stadelhorn (IMO: 9726671) called as part of the ME2 / IEX India-Europe service, leaving the UK for calls at the ports of Hamburg, Tanger Med, Colombo, Kamarajar, Algeciras, and Rotterdam.

Elsewhere, DP World also selected construction company Mota-Engil to lead the development of the Banana Port in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The new venture will feature a 600-metre quay and be capable of handling 450,000 teu per year, providing Africa's second-biggest country with access to a container port on its Atlantic coast.