London Gateway has landed its first shipping line service, the Southern Africa Europe Container Service, which will start calling at the DP World-operated container terminal in November, according to Port Finance International.
SAECS is a joint service operated by Safmarine, Maersk Line, Deutsche Afrika Linien and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines.
Maersk Line confirmed that the SAECS member lines have decided to move their U.K. call from the London Container Terminal Tilbury in England to the new London Gateway Terminal. The first vessel is scheduled to call at London Gateway on Nov. 7.
Until now, DP World had not announced any anchor customer for its port. The terminal operator plans to open London Gateway’s first berth in the fourth quarter of this year, its second berth in the second quarter of next year and its third berth six months after that. After that first phase, it will assess market demand before opening berths 4, 5 and 6.
The Journal of Commerce