New cranes taller than the London Eye arrive at London Gateway and Southampton, with a further two expected in the coming months
Four new cranes have arrived at DP World’s UK ports - two at London Gateway and two at Southampton.
Each crane weighs over 2,000 tonnes each and stands nearly 150 metres high, taller than the London Eye.
Capable of consecutive ‘tandem lifts’ of two 40ft containers at once, the new cranes can service the largest container ships currently in operation, and will enable both terminals to accommodate growing trade volumes.
The first pair of cranes arrived fully assembled by sea at London Gateway on Friday 25 September, having completed their round-the-world journey from Shanghai.
The second pair are due to arrive at Southampton next week, bringing the total number servicing the terminal to 16.
Combined with the two cranes delivered earlier this year in June, the arrivals represent a £60 million investment in Southampton terminal’s handling capacity.
A further two cranes currently scheduled for delivery to London Gateway’s Berth 5 in the coming months.
The arrival of new equipment comes as DP World has published a new report showing that the London Gateway port and logistics park supports more than 10,000 UK jobs and adds nearly £800mn GDP to the UK economy.
Kris Adams, CEO of DP World UK Ports & Terminals, said: “These new quay cranes represent another major investment in that infrastructure, which is boosting UK productivity, employment and national income.
“At both of our fantastic UK port operations at Southampton and London Gateway we are increasing capacity, improving efficiency for our customers and ensuring two of Britain’s most important gateways to global trade are equipped for the future,” he added.
Satvir Kaur, MP for Southampton Test, and James McMurdock, MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock, both praised the arrival of the cranes into their constituencies and the opportunity for jobs and prosperity.
London Gateway is one of the UK’s fastest-growing container ports, expected to become Britain’s largest container port before the end of the decade, and Southampton provides major connections to Asia, the Middle East and the Americas.
In 2025, DP World’s terminals at London Gateway and Southampton handled more than 5mn TEU, close to half the overall UK total of more than 10mn TEU.
