London Gateway, perched on the north bank of the Thames Estuary 25 miles east of London, is on track to become the UK's largest container port. Construction began in 2010 on the site of a former Shell oil refinery. Dubai Ports World has invested £3 billion since inheriting the project 20 years ago following its £3.9 billion takeover of P&O.
The port is designed to handle the world's largest container ships, overtaking Felixstowe by 2028. In a recent visit, the MSC-owned vessel Abidjan was unloaded using Chinese 138-metre-high cranes before cargo moved via electric shuttles to automated stacking cranes. Gemini, the shipping alliance of Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd, redirected its Asia-to-Europe traffic to London Gateway last year.
With a fifth berth opening next year and a sixth by 2030, the port will employ 1,600 people. The facility benefits from an adjacent logistics park for Tesco and UPS, modeled on the Jebel Ali free zone. London Gateway's allure combines deep-water access with logistical efficiency, addressing the decline of inner London docks.
Although Felixstowe has long been the UK's primary gateway, it is 90 miles from London, whereas London Gateway offers strategic estuary positioning. The number of deep-sea containers handled by UK ports rose 12 percent last year, with most growth at London Gateway. Chinese-made electric vehicles are a key driver of increased import demand.
The port faces the challenge of storing empty containers before shipping them back to Asia.
Source: Financial Times Companies · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing