DP World Gateway to put London among 'greatest ports'
A new deep sea container port in the UK will create 27,700 jobs for the capital city of London alone and contribute £2.4 billion to its economy.
Opening in the fourth quarter of this year (2013), London Gateway will be the UK’s first twenty first century major deep-sea container port and Europe’s largest logistics park.
Owned and operated by DP World and situated on the north bank of the River Thames, London Gateway will provide unrivalled deep-sea shipping access to the largest consumer markets in the UK.
The port's location, with its superior operational systems and service, will ensure ships load and unload as fast as possible, making London Gateway a world class asset for the UK.
According to Oxford Economics’ forecasts, once operational, London Gateway will contribute £3.2 billion to annual British Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 36,000 jobs, with the capital and wider region benefitting from £2.4 billion each year and 27,700 jobs.
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, (pictured, right) was recently welcomed to DP World London Gateway by DP World Vice Chairman Jamal Majid Bin Thaniah and London Gateway Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Simon Moore, as new figures show that the development will deliver 27,700 jobs in London and the wider South East region as well as contribute £2.4 billion to its annual GDP.
Marks & Spencer has announced it wiill build a 900,000 square foot distribution centre on the site, which is just 25 miles from Central London.
London Gateway’s logistics park will be Europe’s largest and will see deep-sea cargo sent directly to the market from distribution centres at London Gateway, removing the time and cost associated with movement of goods via inland distribution centres.
The Mayor visited DP World’s Dubai headquarters in April, where he was shown Jebel Ali port, the model for London Gateway, by Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, DP World Chairman and Mr Bin Thaniah.
Mayor Johnson said: “London is set to regain its position as one of the world’s greatest ports, and establish itself once again as a gateway to world trade.
“This gargantuan site will create tens of thousands of jobs in our capital and the South East, whilst helping to drive continued prosperity for the rest of the UK. DP World’s investment is a huge boost to the economy and a massive vote of confidence in London’s future.”
Jamal Majid Bin Thaniah said: “London Gateway is a unique development for the UK, bringing DP World’s values of delivering excellent supply chain solutions for our global customers.
“We are delighted to be able to welcome the Mayor of London to see for himself the scale of the site, which is three times as large as the City of London. With some 3,500 construction workers employed every day and thousands of long term jobs to be created, this is a huge inward investment by DP World into the UK.”
London Gateway CEO Moore said: “As an island nation, we have a tradition of trading with global partners and London Gateway will ensure that this tradition continues.
“Whilst we are the UK’s new global hub port, by virtue of our location near London, this port will bring fantastic benefits to the region. We are creating work, reducing the number of lorries on our roads and saving businesses up to £200 for every container moving to or from the London and surrounding market. If you have a business that imports or exports, London Gateway makes sense on every level.”
Major retailers are taking advantage of the savings offered by London Gateway’s distinct location , including Marks & Spencer, the first business to announce its use of the logistics park.
Marc Bolland, Chief Executive of Marks & Spencer, said: “As we become an international, multichannel retailer, London Gateway will help us become more efficient by cutting costs and locating our supply chain closer to our stores and our international markets. It will also help us deliver against our Plan A objectives by removing road miles and emissions from our network.”
DP World’s London Gateway has begun its haulier registration procedure, which asks all hauliers who wish to operate at the port to complete a registration application.
DP World has a portfolio of more than 65 marine terminals across six continents, including new developments underway in India, Africa, Europe, South America and the Middle East.
Container handling is the company’s core business and generates around 80% of its revenue. In 2012, DP World handled more than 56 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent container units). With its committed pipeline of developments and expansions, capacity is expected to rise to more than 100 million TEU by 2020, in line with market demand.
DP World has a team of 28,000 people globally.
