It was announced this week that the new London gateway port, currently taking shape for a Q4 opening, is installing the first of 40 state-of-the-art automated cranes.

One of the key points we noted was that the new cranes could operate in adverse weather, something hauliers will be rejoicing about no doubt. The litmus test is how adverse the weather can be whilst still operating. London Gateways main competitor, The Port of Felixstowe, struggles with bad weather with operation stack frequently in force to the dismay of hauliers and customers alike.

It’s said that when the new port is fully operational more than 65 million road miles and 148,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions will be eliminated from the UK’s supply chain.

This will be Europe’s largest logistics park with 36,000 jobs provided when fully developed.

Being based in Felixstowe we are obviously concerned about the impact on jobs here and whether there is enough business for both ports to flourish. We sincerely hope that The Port of Felixstowe manages to find its way in these uncertain times and that two world leading ports can live and thrive side by side.