MOL Caledon first to call at London Gateway

   The 4,922-TEU containership MOL Caledon is expected to dock this evening at DP World’s London Gateway, making it the first ship to call the terminal, which is the first new port in the United Kingdom in 20 years.
   The ship, which is coming from Cape Town, will reach London at between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. local time.
   As part of its regular operations, the port will receive a weekly call from the Southern Africa Europe Container Shipping Service. The consortium consists of Safmarine, Mitsui OSK Lines, Maersk Line and Deutsche Afrika Linien. The vessels, which had previously been calling at Tilbury, will bring up to 900 containers a week.
   In August, DAL posted a letter on its website, notifying customers of the new call.
   “With this change of terminal, the lines aim to secure not only benefits for their clients through the new infrastructure (such as improved rail connections) and access to UK markets, but also operational advantages, which will assist the lines in maintaining schedule integrity and reliability, while enabling you to further streamline your supply chains,” the note read.
   The port’s annual capacity is 3.5 million TEUs. According to officials, the terminal should generate 27,700 jobs and add 2.4 billion pounds ($3.86 billion) to annual GDP.
   This summer, London Mayor Boris Johnson said the new port will help London “regain its position as one of the world’s greatest ports and establish itself once again as a gateway to world trade.”
   For more about London Gateway, read American Shipper‘s “Build it and they will come?”