The cranes are all designed to handle ships with containers stowed up to 24-wide and have a lift-height of 49.5 metres above the quay to allow them to work containers stacked up to 10-high on deck at all
states of the tide.

Commenting on the latest crane arrivals, Clemence Cheng, Chief Executive Officer of the Port of Felixstowe and Managing Director of HPH
Europe division, said:

“The project to extend Berths 8&9 at the port, on which these cranes will operate, will allow us to work more mega-vessels simultaneously. We will commission these cranes over the next few weeks and the extended terminal will be operational during the fourth quarter this year.”

The new cranes are equipped with driver aids and aredesigned to work with tandem-lift spreaders allowing two 40′ containers to be handled at the same time. The driver aids include partial automation of the loading cycle to reduce strain on the drivers and to increase productivity.

They are part of a programme of investment at Felixstowe that has seen the development of Berths 8&9, the opening of a third rail terminal at the port, and the announcement of a new 1.4 million square foot logistics park in recent years.

The DP World site will provide Eddie Stobart with a strategic operational base to support their growth plans in the south of the country. As well as being on the doorstep of London and the South East, DP World London Gateway will allow Eddie Stobart to serve destinations across the UK, using their road and rail solution to provide shipping lines and cargo owners the opportunity to reduce mileage and costs as well as supporting their overall carbon reduction agendas and increasing supply chain reliability.

“We see the potential at DP World London Gateway and the opportunity to offer our customers greater cost efficiencies and environmentally friendly supply chain solutions. As a multimodal transport and warehouse provider, we believe that London Gateway provides a natural strategic fit with the growth plans for our business. We look forward to working in partnership with the DP World team so that we can jointly offer world class transport solutions,” said Alex Laffey, CEO at Eddie Stobart.

“We are delighted to welcome Eddie Stobart Logistics to DP World London Gateway. It’s great to see a leading brand realise their growth plans here at Britain’s newest port and logistics park, which reduces costs from supply chains by allowing customers to ship closer and save money. We welcome Stobart’s commitment to provide competitive prices for deliveries into the UK market. The team are highly professional and I’m confident Eddie Stobart will provide UK cargo owners and shippers the very best in service and deliver real savings across the industry,” said DP World London Gateway CEO, Simon Moore.

The decision to locate services at DP World London Gateway was taken to ensure that Eddie Stobart was in position to support the growth of their customers and ensure better services are in place for accessing the nation. The port and logistics park is located closer to the midlands and the location also enables quicker access to the biggest consumer market in the UK, London. The capital is expected to grow from 8.7 million to 10 million consumers in the next 15 years.