DP World London Gateway has today welcomed its first ship under the new agreement with the Gemini Cooperation, the collaboration between Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd.
The first vessel to call at London Gateway under the agreement announced in November is the Maersk Stadelhorn, which will travel on Gemini’s ME2 / IEX India-Europe service, leaving the UK for calls at the ports of Hamburg, Tanger Med, Colombo, Kamarajar, Algeciras, and Rotterdam.
Formed by global shipping giants Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd to bolster the efficiency of their East-West shipping routes, the Gemini Cooperation recently announced that it has achieved an industry leading 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. The start of Gemini services called at London Gateway was celebrated by senior executives at DP World and Maersk earlier this week.
Ernst Schulze, DP World Ports & Terminals Lead for Northern Europe, said: “The arrival of the Maersk Stadelhorn is a testament to the Gemini Cooperation’s confidence in DP World’s UK container terminals and global supply chain solutions network. The Asia-Europe service will enhance vital international trade routes at London Gateway, advancing our ambition to make the logistics hub the UK’s largest container port within the next five years.”
Gary Jeffreys, Managing Director – Maersk UK & Ireland, said: “It is fantastic to witness our new network brought to life in the UK. London Gateway will play a key role in our service to our customers, as we unlock the benefits of a reliable, flexible and a more agile Ocean network better adjusted to the needs of the supply chains of the future.”
Cameron Bowie, Managing Director – Hapag-Lloyd UK & Ireland, said: “The Middle East and India trade is one that has witnessed remarkable growth in recent years and Hapag-Lloyd is proud to have been a leader in its expansion through investment and the introduction of vessels with greater market coverage and carrying capacity. Our IOS and IEX services on this trade have used London Gateway for the past 10 years and I am delighted that the new Gemini Cooperation will continue to call at London Gateway and further strengthen the strong operational partnership with DP World.”
The arrival at London Gateway follows DP World Southampton welcoming its first ship under the Gemini Cooperation last month on 3 February. Travelling on the new Transatlantic AL1 / AT3 service, the MV Leonidio departed Southampton for the ports of Rotterdam, Hamburg, and Wilhelmshaven in Northern Europe before crossing the Atlantic to dock at New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Saint John in the US and Canada.
This milestone follows other significant expansions in DP World’s global network, including the launch of the first container service from DP World Mundra which directly connects India to the United States’ East Coast, and a long-term agreement with Maersk to enhance maritime services at the Port of Santos – the busiest container port in Brazil.
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.
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