London Gateway port could replace Felixstowe as the UK’s largest container port by the end of this decade after a £1 billion expansion was announced this week.
The Essex port’s owners – DP World – confirmed investment plans this week after they were nearly derailed by a government minister calling for a boycott of the company’s subsidiary P&O Ferries last week.
When referring to P&O’s actions in 2022 when 800 British employees were dismissed and replaced, Transport Secretary Louise Haigh called P&O a ‘cowboy operator’, before Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed that her view was “not the view of the government”.
The plan outlines that two new berths will be added to London Gateway, increasing its capacity to 6 berths along a 1.5 miles long stretch and improving its capabilities to handle today’s Ultra Large Container Vessels (ULCVs).
The port will be able to handle six ULCV’s of over 400m long simultaneously, and plans include building a second rail freight terminal.
The company expect to create an additional 400 permanent new jobs through the expansion and believe this will position London Gateway as the UK’s largest container port within 5 years.
