Tuesday, July 1, 2014

UK's Newest Deep Water Container Port Adds Another Shipping Service

Central Location Gradually Makes Inroads into Available Routings
Shipping News Feature

UK – WEST AFRICA – London’s new deep water container port, DP World’s London Gateway is gradually picking up business thanks to its central location and has just announced a new service to connect the UK with West Africa, to be operated by two of the world’s largest container shipping lines Hapag-Lloyd and MOL. The new service starts with Hapag-Lloyd’ Frisia Lubeck which is due to call at the port on the 22nd of July. DP World London Gateway Port Commercial Manager, Tabare Dominguez, said:

“We are pleased to announce the start of the West Africa service at DP World London Gateway operated by MOL and Hapag Lloyd starting in July. The decision to bring the service to DP World London Gateway by existing customers Hapag Lloyd and MOL, demonstrates confidence in DP World London Gateway’s ability to deliver a reliable efficient service and their desire to grow their business at the port.”

The West Africa service supports the import of goods like canned fish, timber, bananas, vegetables and other foodstuffs and the export of chemicals, white goods, malt, fish and meat from the UK. Hapag-Lloyds’s WAX service and MOL’s ARN port rotation will be as follows:

Antwerp (Thu/Fri), Hamburg (Sat/Sun), DP World London Gateway (Mon/Tue), Algeciras (Sun/Sun), Dakar (Thu/Fri) , Lagos/Apapa (Thu/Fri), Tema (Mon/Wed), Abidjan (Thu/Fri), Algeciras (Sat/Sun), and Antwerp (Thu).

London Gateway officially opened for business in November 2014, with the South Africa Europe Service operated by MOL, Maersk, Safmarine and DAL. Since that time the port has added a South America East Coast and West Coast service operated by Hamburg Sud, Hapag Lloyd and CMA CGM, an India Pakistan service operated by Hamburg Sud and Hapag Lloyd, a North America East Coast and West Coast service operated by the G6 Alliance (APL, HMM, MOL, Hapag Lloyd, NYK, & OOCL) plus an ICX service with calls to Dublin and Rotterdam operated by Xpress Feeders.

As well as the growth of port services, London Gateway Logistics Park is under development with Buckingham Group about to break ground on the Common User Facility site. Prologis, the world’s largest developer of industrial property, also recently announced the development of a 316,000 sq ft distribution centre at the Logistics Park to be operated on a speculative basis.