Two giant cranes weighing more than 2,000 tonnes have been welcomed to a port on the River Thames in a rare event for the UK.
The mammoth quay cranes, the largest in Europe, were offloaded on Wednesday at DP World London Gateway after a two-month journey from China.
Sized to service some of the largest vessels in operation around the world, including 24,000 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) containerships, the cranes are expected to operate for a minimum of 25 years, making their arrival a rare event in the UK.
Ahsan Agha, vice president of Port Operations at DP World London Gateway, said: “At a time when the pressure to manage costs, maintain reliability and improve speed has never been greater, DP World in the UK has been building a unique array of assets and suite of capabilities to help our customers stay competitive in a fast-changing and unpredictable trading environment.
“Thanks to the capacity soon to be provided by the quay cranes and the new fourth berth, that service at London Gateway is future-proofed for years to come.”
The cranes will come into service at London Gateway’s new £350 million fourth berth, which will open this summer.
Another two quay cranes are expected to dock at London Gateway later this year.
