SIMIC

The resilience of the UK supply chain will be strengthened by the GBP350 million (US$387 million) project, which builds on DP World's GBP2 billion investment in Britain over the last decade.

On completion in 2024 it will lift London Gateway's capacity by a third, giving it more room to handle the world's largest vessels than any other port in the country.

Ernst Schulze, UK chief executive of DP World, said: "Over the next 10 years we have earmarked a further GBP1 billion of investment in this country. The construction of the new fourth berth is creating 1,000 jobs and London Gateway's rapidly growing logistics park will employ 12,000 people when it is completed in five years' time."

Seamus Devlin, McLaughlin & Harvey Civil Engineering director, added "We bring with us extensive experience in the marine sector, and look forward to engaging with our local supply chain and creating jobs locally."

DP World operates the UK's most advanced logistics hubs: two deep water ports at London Gateway and Southampton with access to freight rail terminals, and a rapidly expanding logistics park on the doorstep of the capital.

In a record for the port, DP World announced in July that London Gateway handled more than one million TEU in six months between January and June. When factoring in throughput at Southampton this performance contributed to a record volume of cargo in the first half of the year for DP World's ports in the UK, with a combined total of 1.94 million TEU.