DP World has confirmed a £170 million investment to deploy a fully automated high-bay container storage system at its London Gateway terminal, marking a significant technological milestone for UK port operations. The innovation, developed by BOXBAY, a joint venture between DP World and Germany’s SMS Group, will form part of the port’s newly launched all-electric Berth 4.
The “Empty Superstack” system will incorporate electric stacker cranes inside a fully enclosed high-bay structure, capable of handling empty containers up to 16 tiers high, giving the facility capacity for approximately 27,000 TEU. Industry analysts expect the design to reduce container re-handling moves, improve operational safety, and increase land-use efficiency in a constrained port footprint.
The system has already undergone extensive trials at DP World’s Jebel Ali Port in Dubai, processing nearly 500,000 TEU. Its introduction in the UK serves as an expansion of the company’s broader automation strategy across global terminals.
Supporting the UK’s Sustainable Logistics Goals
The investment aligns with the United Kingdom’s ambitions for reduced-emission freight infrastructure. London Gateway’s Berth 4, where the BOXBAY installation will be integrated, is described as the world’s first all-electric berth, enhancing energy efficiency while curbing local atmospheric and noise pollution from port handling operations.
Project completion is scheduled within just over two years, reinforcing DP World’s commitment to long-term UK logistics development. The company has already delivered more than £5 billion in national investment, supporting thousands of jobs across its UK portfolio.
Strategic Positioning
London Gateway remains central to DP World’s ambitions to elevate UK container capacity and compete more aggressively with established hubs in Northern Europe. The terminal’s automation roadmap, once fully realised, is expected to bolster throughput resilience, enhance service reliability for shipping lines, and future-proof the port for fluctuations in global container flows.
A New Benchmark for Port Technology
Industry observers view the deployment as a major step in the transformation of terminal architecture. Rather than expanding outward into new land reclamation projects, the BOXBAY system leverages vertical space, representing a paradigm shift in port logistics design.
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