A global container shipping consortium will use DP World’s deep-water ports for all its mainline UK calls on ten of its trade routes, the Dubai-based ports operator said.
The Alliance – made up of shippers Hapag-Lloyd, K-Line, MOL, NYK Line and Yang Ming – said its vessels will stop at DP World’s Southampton and London Gateway hubs on its transatlantic and Asia-Europe lines.
The consortium, which accounts for 18 per cent of the global container shipping fleet, was formed in May when Germany’s Hapag-Lloyd joined up with the four Asian shippers. The Alliance is expected to deploy 21,000 TEU (twenty foot equivalent unit) container ships on its services when MOL’s new builds come into service this year which will see DP World in the UK handle the largest ships in the world.
Hapag-Lloyd is in the middle of finalising a merger with the UAE’s United Arab Shipping Company.
“DP World London Gateway has been ... handling a large number of ad-hoc Asia-Europe vessels, increasing productivity and becoming more efficient. Meanwhile, DP World Southampton has ... increased its market share,” said Chris Lewis, the UK managing director at DP World.
DP World also said a third deep-water berth would open at London Gateway at the end of this month.
Its shares closed up 2.1 per cent at US$21.95 on the Nasdaq Dubai on Wednesday.
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