DP World Adds Four Megacranes at London Gateway and Southampton
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DP World has received four of the largest ship-to-shore cranes in Europe at its London Gateway and Southampton terminals in the United Kingdom, as part of an investment aimed at expanding capacity at both ports and supporting the growth of UK trade. The new cranes can handle the largest container ships currently in service, including megaships of up to 24,000 TEU.
The London Gateway cranes
The first pair of cranes, weighing more than 2,000 tonnes each and standing nearly 150 metres tall, arrived fully assembled at London Gateway on 25 September after being shipped from Shanghai. According to Port Strategy and DP World, these units will be installed at the new, fully electric Berth 5, part of a £1 billion port expansion scheduled to become operational in 2027. Portal Portuario put the value of that same expansion at around USD 1.3 billion.
Reinforcement at Southampton
The second pair of cranes will arrive at Southampton in the first half of October, following the delivery of two other units in June, bringing the total number of cranes serving that terminal to 16. According to DP World and Port Technology, the four cranes added this year at Southampton represent a £60 million investment. Two further cranes are expected to arrive at London Gateway's Berth 5 in the coming months.
Statements from officials and executives
Kris Adams, CEO of Ports and Terminals at DP World UK, said that trade drives the country's growth and prosperity, and that these cranes represent an infrastructure investment that boosts productivity, employment and national income. Robin Mortimer, CEO of the Port of London Authority, noted that the arrival of the electric cranes at London Gateway is a clear sign of growth at the Port of London and supports the net-zero emissions goal. MP Satvir Kaur and MP James McMurdock also highlighted the investment's impact on jobs and the local economy in Southampton and London Gateway, respectively.
Economic impact and cargo volumes
The arrival of the cranes coincided with the release of a DP World report estimating that London Gateway supports £799 million of UK GDP and 10,500 jobs across the wider economy. Together, the London Gateway and Southampton terminals handle 46% of the UK's containerised trade. In 2025, both terminals moved more than 5 million TEU, with a record 3 million TEU at London Gateway alone, up 50% on the previous year.
