DP World is making a £60m investment in the UK’s trading capacity with an order of four new quay cranes for its Southampton container terminal.
The new cranes will be the largest quay cranes in Europe and can perform quad lifts, moving two 40ft containers together from ship to yard in a single move, reducing the time taken to load and unload large container vessels.
The quay cranes, which stand taller than Big Ben and each weigh more than 2,000 tonnes, are scheduled to arrive from mid-2026. Designed to service the largest ships currently in operation, including 24,000 TEU megaships, the cranes have an operational lifespan of approximately 25 years and are a key investment to future-proof DP World Southampton’s trading capabilities.
Aart Hille Ris Lambers, Vice President – Commercial, Ports & Terminals at DP World in the UK, said: “Our order for these new large quay cranes comes at a crucial time for DP World Southampton. We are continually innovating and investing to enhance our operations to give our customers, who operate the world’s largest container vessels, a smooth and efficient service.
“As our productivity and handling rates at Southampton continue to grow year-on-year, and we develop our nationwide end-to-end supply chain network, we’re always looking for ways to improve our infrastructure and our offer to customers, while serving the national interest.”
The order of the new quay cranes follows the announcement that DP World Southampton was presented with a ‘Productivity Improvement Award’ from global shipping giant ONE (Ocean Network Express), recognising the logistics hubs efforts to significantly increase handling rates between 2022 and 2023, further demonstrating the growth and innovation across DP World’s UK terminals.
In addition to its hubs at Southampton and London Gateway, DP World’s offer includes logistics, forwarding and European transport capabilities, all of which are being integrated into the company’s global network. Operating in 78 countries, DP World handles 10 per cent of global containerised trade.
