London Gateway Project

DP World, a Dubai-government controlled holding company and one of the largest marine terminal operators in the world, awarded a £400m contract yesterday to British firm Laing O’Rourke and Belgium’s Dredging International for the development of the first phase of the new port at London Gateway and is the first major contract granted for the £1.5 billion project.

London Gateway will be Uk’s first deep sea container port for over 25 years and offers an exciting opportunity for the UK economy and shipping industry as a whole.  It is set to be the most technologically advanced container port in the world and will be fully integrated with Europe’s largest logistics park.

The 1500 acre site is situated on the north bank of the River Thames near Thurrock in Essex. London Gateway will provide unrivalled shipping access for the world’s leading businesses through an integrated road, rail and sea network.

The project will lead to the creation of over 12,000 new jobs and will eventually handle an estimated 3.5 million TEU’s per year to help meet recognized demand for extra container capacity in the UK.

Actual construction will begin later this year and the logistics park is due to open in the second of of 2010, with the first ships are said to be arriving early 2011.

Sources: DP World, AFP,

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