Terminal operator DP World handles more than 100 million containers in ports worldwide for the first time.
In the last ten years, the group has invested over US$11bn in new buildings, expansions and acquisitions – and is planning further growth.
The Group’s share of the global container market is 9.22%. Global capacity in port terminals has grown by 33% over the past decade from 75.6 million TEU. Last year alone, gross capacity grew by a further 5%. In order to meet the requirements of global supply chains, the company has continuously invested in modernising its infrastructure, DP World announced.
“Solutions where others only see obstacles”
“Crossing the 100 million TEU mark is a significant milestone in our journey that began 45 years ago,” said Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and Chief Executive of DP World. He is confident that the global container market will grow in the coming years and that the company has the capacity to serve it. “Our decades of experience in some of the world’s most dynamic markets have given us a deep understanding of every aspect of the complex global supply chain. This enables us to develop customised solutions where others see only obstacles.”
Tiemen Meester, COO Ports & Terminals, particularly emphasised the investments in less traditional and partly underdeveloped markets. One of the main highlights of 2024 was the acquisition of the Daressalaam facility in Tanzania,” he said. The port had not been expanded since the 1950s, with waiting times for ships sometimes exceeding a month. “Our work over the last six months has almost eliminated this problem and the future looks much brighter for Tanzanian trade.”
DP World on course for growth
DP World’s other acquisitions in the past year include the Belawan New Container Terminal in Indonesia, where capacity is set to increase from 600,000 to 1.4 million TEU, and the Sapangar Bay Container Port in Malaysia, where growth is planned from the current 500,000 to 1.25 million TEU. New terminals are being built in the African port cities of Ndayane (Senegal), Maputo (Mozambique) and Banana (Democratic Republic of Congo), as well as in Tuna Tekra in India.
The Group’s most important investments include a fourth berth at London Gateway at a cost of US$450m in order to be able to handle an additional 900,000 TEU per year. In total, the terminal is to be expanded to become the largest container port in the UK at a cost of US$1.2bn. A further US$400m is being invested in the port of Callao in Peru, where capacity is to be increased by 80% to 2.7 million TEU.
