DP World boosts container handling tech in its London Gateway hub: Emirati port operator DP World has invested GBP 170 mn (c. USD 226.9 mn) to install new container handling technology at its London Gateway logistics hub, according to a press release released on Thursday. The new capabilities include a high-bay storage system (HBS) named Empty Superstack — developed by BoxBay — and features electric cranes that can hold up to 27k TEUs.

The plan: The system will be installed on the hub’s fully electric berth 4 and will stack 20- and 40-foot empty containers up to 16 levels high within an automated facility in a bid to boost safety, capacity, and efficiency, the press release stated.

BoxBay? A JV established by DP World and SMS Group, BoxBay specializes in HBS systems that leverage automated technology to store containers, according to its website. Its technology was originally used to stack heavyweight metal coils in racks as high as 50 meters, and aims to achieve a three-fold increase in the transshipment capacity at container terminals. The Empty Superstack method handled some 500k TEUs during trials at DP World’s Jebel Ali Port, the press release said.

SOUND SMART- HBS systems can be tailored to use at existing terminals as well as those built from scratch, according to Amova, an SMS Group subsidiary. The system consists of many aisles — each of which comprises two racks. It operates using cranes and a rail system, allowing aisles to be expanded during port operations. A high-bay facility has shelves up to 12 meters high — with a maximum height of 50 meters — and its capacity can range from a few thousand to several hundred thousand pallet spaces, according to DHL.

Latest London Gateway hub expansions: DP World partnered with UK-based retailer Tesco to expand its London-based hub with a multi-mn GBP distribution center earlier this year. The center — focusing on dry grocery distribution — is scheduled for operations in 2029. Its exact investment ticket was not disclosed.

IN OTHER DP WORLD NEWS-

DP World inaugurated its USD 85 mn logistics park in Egypt’s Sokhna Industrial Zone, marking a strategic step in Egypt’s efforts to position itself as a regional hub for logistics services and global trade, according to a cabinet statement. The first phase of the project has begun operations, while the second will go online in 3Q 2026, once both are operational the zone will create 300 jobs.

REMEMBER- The company broke ground on the 300k sqm logistics zone in November 2023 after inking a construction agreement with the Suez Canal Economic Zone’s Main Development Company (MDC) in August 2022.

A look into what the logistics zone is offering: The project includes a bonded warehouse for container storage and a duty-paid warehouse for goods storage. The logistics zone also offers real-time cargo tracking systems, on-site customs processing, and an integrated electronic customer service platform.

SOUND SMART- Bonded warehouses are government-authorized facilities that store goods for a limited time without being subject to duties, taxes, or customs fees. They’re particularly useful for temporary storage of goods moving internationally. While a duty-paid warehouse is exactly as it sounds, a facility where goods are stored after their customs have been paid.

Which industries can utilize the logistics park? The logistics zone will support key sectors such as raw materials, packaging, agriculture, electronics, building material, textiles, cars, spare parts, and electric vehicles.

What they said: “Our goal is to achieve seamless integration across supply chains to boost trade flows, support exports, create new jobs, and drive economic growth forward,” DP World CEO Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem said.

More to come from the Emirati company: DP World plans to replicate its smart rail transport model implemented in India in Egypt within the next 12 months, as part of its broader strategy to expand into developing Egypt’s rail infrastructure, Bin Sulayem said.

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