DP World wins bid to develop a mega-container terminal in India

DP World has been awarded a concession to build and operate a mega-container terminal at Deendayal port in Gujarat, India. The terminal will have a 1,100-meter berth and will have a capacity of 2.19 million TEUs, capable of handling vessels carrying more than 18,000 Twenty Equipment Units.

The terminal will be built through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) under a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) contract awarded by the Deendayal Port Authority. The terminal will enhance logistics efficiency, reduce costs and cater to exports and imports from Northern, Western and Central India, complementing the Government of India’s initiatives for economic growth through multimodal logistics infrastructure development.

Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO of DP World, said, “With the development of Tuna Tekra mega-container terminal in Gujarat, DP World will be well-placed to capture these opportunities, further connecting Northern, Western and Central India with global trade and driving value for all our stakeholders. This is yet another step in our collective efforts with the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund to leverage our expertise in logistics infrastructure and local knowledge to further strengthen India’s supply chain.”

Rizwan Soomar, CEO and MD, India Subcontinent and sub-Saharan Africa, DP World, added, “We are honoured to partner with Deendayal Port Authority in developing this new mega-container terminal at Tuna-Tekra. We are confident that our deep expertise in developing critical infrastructure under Public-Private Partnerships will drive value for all stakeholders involved in this project. We remain enthusiastic to continue playing an important role in developing world leading assets to enable trade flow in key markets of India.” The new terminal will be constructed and equipped with most modern facilities and equipment over an area of approximately 63 hectares. The terminal will be well-connected to the hinterland through the network of roads, highways, railways and the Dedicated Freight Corridors.

DP World already operates five marine terminals - two in Mumbai, one each in Mundra, Cochin and Chennai - with a combined capacity of approximately 6 million TEUs and with the addition of Tuna Tekra Container Terminal DP World will have a capacity of 8.19 million TEUs. This is along with seven multimodal inland terminals connected to DP World’s rail network, cold storage facilities and container freight stations. It is also developing three state-of-the-art economic zones across the country in Mumbai, Cochin and Chennai.

DP World has recently teamed up with global shipping services provider A.P. Moller-Maersk (Maersk), to improve operational efficiencies, enhance customer service and collaborate on decarbonising.

The long-term strategic partnership will provide support for Maersk’s customers and implement new processes to improve quayside productivity, all leading to faster gate turnaround times at Jebel Ali Port and reduced bunker fuel consumption.

These are alongside visibility tools, which will allow Maersk’s customers to benefit from real-time information relayed by DP World to plan their supply chains better and ultimately cut their carbon emissions. Maersk will deploy two of its solutions for customers moving their cargo through Jebel Ali -- Maersk Accelerate, a fast-tracking service through priority cargo handling, and Maersk Flex Hub, a cargo storage solution.

Jebel Ali Port is a leading international gateway port, ideally located to serve the East-West trade corridor connecting to 150 cities globally. Lowering carbon emissions is a common goal for both companies and increasingly demanded by customers, who sit at the heart of every decision the companies take. Maersk and DP World will continue collaborating to create new solutions, such as warehousing to drive better customer experience in the future.

In January 2022, DP World entered a strategic partnership with the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping, an independent, not-for-profit organisation launched in 2020 to undertake intensive research and development to find practical ways to decarbonise the global maritime trade industry.

Maersk itself aims to reach net zero emissions by 2040 across the entire business with new technologies, new vessels and green fuels. DP World has committed to becoming a carbon neutral enterprise by 2040 and net zero carbon enterprise by 2050.

DP World Group Chairman and CEO, Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem announced plans in November to invest up to $500 million to cut CO2 emissions from its operations by nearly 700,000 tonnes over the next five years.