DP World celebrates successful solar energy trial at London Gateway port

LONDON : DP World has moved closer towards its sustainability goals after a successful solar energy trial at its London Gateway hub port. 

The sunlight-converting photovoltaic panels have been installed on the canopy of the hub’s gatehouse building and have generated 29.95MWH of electricity since they were installed two months ago. 

COO Andrew Bowen said: “We are committed to mitigating the impacts of climate change by becoming a net zero logistics organisation by 2050. 

“This successful trial is another step on that journey, with our gatehouse complex becoming the first entirely carbon-neutral part of London Gateway since the photovoltaic panels were introduced two months ago.” 

Bowen also promised that DP World would be installing “significantly more” similar panels across its London Gateway and Southampton logistics hubs over the next three years as it seeks to become the most sustainable logistics business in the UK. 

The company’s two deepwater ports currently handle over £43bn of goods every year with the London Gateway port seeing 548,000 lorries enter through its gatehouse annually to collect and discharge containers. 

A £350m all-electric fourth berth will also be opening at the London site next summer as part of Thames Freeport, making it the first of its kind in Britain. 

Sustainable warehouses will also be built at an adjacent logistics park with a target of delivering a 40% reduction in operational carbon emissions. 

DP World’s Southampton terminal has also seen significant steps taken to reduce emissions, including switching to the renewable biodiesel hydrotreated vegetable oil which led to a 55% net carbon emissions reduction in 2022.

Decarbonisation of shipping, ports and the surrounding processes has been one of the main focuses for the industry in recent years with Associated British Ports recently revealing a £2bn plan to decarbonise operations by 2040 and the International Maritime Organisation aiming to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. 

Bowen described the process of decarbonisation as “one of the biggest challenges facing humanity today.”