Posted on April 8, 2021
DP World, the Dubai-headquartered owners of the UK’s Port of Southampton have announced that the port will benefit from a major programme of investments in 2021.
Following news that two of DP World’s UK terminals were awarded Freeport status by the Government last month, the new infrastructure investment totalling £40m is designed to provide customers with speed, security, reliability and flexibility.
A program to dredge and widen berths will ensure that Southampton will be able to continue to accommodate the world’s biggest ships. This project, which was conducted in partnership with Associated British Ports, was completed before Easter and will improve flexibility for customers with immediate effect.
A £10m investment will provide a new class of eleven hybrid straddle carriers. These vehicles, which lift containers moved by the quay cranes and then service onward forms of transport via road and rail, consume up to 40 per cent less fuel than diesel-electric powered machines and will be among the most sustainable in the world.
A planned £3m investment will be made in the redevelopment of the yard for the storage and delivery of customers’ empty containers. Once completed this will increase capacity by 25 per cent and create more flexibility for port users.
A new Border Control Post (BCP), including UK Border Force and port health inspection facilities, will enable multiple government agencies to expedite checks on cargo entering the country.
A £1.5m extension of a quay crane rail by 120 metres will ensure that the world’s biggest cranes can service all berths at the terminal. Additionally, other quay cranes will be relocated or decommissioned in order to maximise utilisation, speed up quayside loading and unloading, and save customers’ time.
By Jake Frith
