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DP World London Gateway handles first Gemini ship; port extension work to start in May

[ March 21, 2025   //   ]

DP World London Gateway handled its first ship for the Gemini Cooperation between Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd on 19 March.

The Maersk Stadelhorn was operating the ME2 / IEX India-Europe service, and was due to call at Hamburg, Tanger Med, Colombo, Kamarajar, Algeciras and Rotterdam.

Formed by Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd to bolster the efficiency of their East-West shipping routes, the Gemini Cooperation says it has achieved 90% service reliability in its first month of operation.

When fully operational, Gemini will run 57 services across the world with a TEU capacity of up to 3.7 million – equivalent to nearly 12% of global container shipping capacity – with vessels calling at both of DP World’s UK deep sea container ports at Southampton and London Gateway.

DP World Southampton handled its first ship under the Gemini Cooperation on 3 February on the new Transatlantic AL1/AT3 service.

DP World added that work on expanding London Gateway will begin in May after the Dubai-based company gained approval for the £1bn project earlier in the year.

It says it will take four years to complete the expansion, adding two further 400m-long all-electric berths and a second rail terminal in. The expanded container port, part of the Thames Freeport, will be able to accommodate six of the world’s largest container ships, and will be served by Europe’s tallest quay cranes.

Over 1,000 construction jobs will be created during the £1bn expansion, plus 400 permanent new jobs at the port. Approvals for DP World’s project were secured following close collaboration with officials at Thurrock Council and the UK Government’s Marine Management Organisation.

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