Company says major infrastructure projects will break ground across Europe, India, Africa and South America this year
DP World has announced it will invest US$2.5bn this year to expand its global logistics network, launching major infrastructure projects across India, Africa, South America and Europe.
This comes in response to rising demand for resilient, integrated supply chain solutions, it said.
The four major developments will extend DP World’s end-to-end capabilities, ”significantly expanding capacity” across its network of global ports.
“Global trade is evolving fast, and we are investing boldly to shape its future,” said Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, chairman and CEO of DP World.
”Despite short-term uncertainty, this US$2.5bn commitment reflects our confidence in long-term trade growth and our determination to build the infrastructure needed to keep the world connected.
“We are building a unique array of assets and suite of capabilities, helping our customers stay competitive, support local economies and enable global access,” he explained.
”Nobody can match us for the diversity and breadth of our supply chain solutions.”
Construction is underway on a new US$510mn terminal at Tuna Tekra in Gujarat on India’s northwestern coast.
Featuring a 1.1km berth and annual capacity of 2.19mn TEU, the terminal will connect India’s vast hinterland to global markets through a network of roads and railways, ”enabling faster, more efficient trade access for Indian businesses”.
DP World is also moving ahead with the development of the new deep-sea port at Banana in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The 450,000 TEU-per-year facility on the DRC’s Atlantic coast will bring ”significant cost and time savings” for the country’s trade, the company noted, as it will attract more direct calls from larger vessels from Asia and Europe, boosting economic growth across the region.
Further up the West African coast, work is already underway on the new 1.2mn TEU-per-year Ndayane Port in Senegal.
An initial investment of US$830mn is being made in what is described as a ”strategically vital project”, which will ”support the country’s development for the rest of the century”.
At the Port of Posorja in Ecuador, the logistics group has initiated a US$140mn berth expansion that will expand the dock to a total of 700m, enabling it to accommodate two post-Panamax vessels at the same time.
Finally, at the London Gateway logistics hub, DP World is investing US$1bn to build two new shipping berths and a second rail terminal.
The expansion will create 400 new jobs, support the UK’s growing role as a trade gateway and move the port closer to becoming Britain’s biggest container port by the end of the decade, it said.
“Our integrated model gives us visibility and control across the entire supply chain, helping our partners reduce risks and costs,” Bin Sulayem added.
”No one else can offer this breadth of capabilities, and we are proud to deliver long-term value to the customers and communities we serve.”
