London Gateway schemes take step forward

Notes and media contacts

Further information:
London:
Ben Copithorne / Chris White, Camargue on 020 76367366

Dubai:
Tom Mollo +971 4 367 2256 or +971 50 550 4203

1. The communication received by DP World consists of letters from the Department for Transport and the Department for Communities and Local Government, dated Tuesday 8 August 2006.

2. London Gateway Port will be built on part of the site of the former Shell Haven oil refinery in Thurrock, Essex. Land will also be reclaimed from the Thames estuary to help form the port. DP World and Shell are collaborating to develop a major Logistics and Business Park on a separate part of the site. Together, the two schemes are expected to create up to 16,500 new jobs and help kick start the Thames Gateway regeneration initiative in Thurrock. The proposals anticipate that the first container berths will be operational by 2010 and the first business units occupied by the end of 2007.

3. DP World took on the development of the London Gateway projects with its acquisition of P&O in March 2006.

4. Key facts
• Shell Haven is a 607 hectare (1,500 acre) brownfield site with a two mile River Thames frontage.
• It is located in Thurrock at the heart of the Government's Thames Gateway regeneration area.
• The site has been used as a port since the 16th century.
• Since the oil refinery ceased production in 1999, Shell has embarked on a £50 million clearance of the site - one of the largest brownfield site preparation programmes in Europe.
• With a 2 mile (3km) river frontage, excellent road and rail links, and a location close to London and the UK's south east market, London Gateway is ideally located for port use. It is estimated that the final destination of a quarter of the containers currently imported into the UK is within a 25 mile (40km) radius of Shell Haven.
• It already has a direct dual carriageway link to London and the M25 motorway network and a rail connection to the UK rail network.

5. London Gateway Port
• The proposed London Gateway Port will be a world class port capable of handling the largest deep-sea container ships.
• DP World's proposals include a 2,300 metre long container quay with a fully-developed capacity of 3.5 million TEU (standard container units) a year.
• The port is located on the major shipping lanes serving north west Europe
• London Gateway Port is being developed on a brownfield site in accordance with Government objectives. It will contribute to the further rejuvenation of the Thames as a working river.

6. Logistics and Business Park
• London Gateway Park will cover a development area of 300 hectares (700 acres). It will provide a sustainable, integrated solution for the changing requirements of the distribution, manufacturing and high-tech sectors.
• The Park can accommodate buildings in excess of 100,000 sq m and offers linkage to the rail network. High quality architecture and high levels of security will be key features of the park. Extensive landscaping on the site, including a protected 'habitat' zone around the Park will create an attractive environment for occupiers.

7. DP World
DP World is one of the top three marine terminal operators in the world and has the widest network of any, with 52 terminals spanning 30 countries and five continents. It provides quality services designed to enhance customers' supply chain efficiency, including bringing together container and other terminals, free zones, logistics facilities, infrastructure developments and consultancy service where these services add value for customers.

DP World invests in the infrastructure, facilities and people at its operations to further enhance the customer's experience and satisfaction, and increase trade. It also invests ahead of demand, working closely with customers and business partners to ensure capacity and services are in place when customers need them.

In taking this customer-centric approach, DP World is building on the relationships with customers and superior level of service established at its flagship operation in Dubai, Port Rashid and Jebel Ali, which has been voted 'Best Seaport in the Middle East' for 12 consecutive years.

DP World's international achievements were recognised in 2006, when DP World won Lloyd's List's prestigious Port Operator of the Year Award.

In 2005, the terminals operated by DP World handled around 13 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent container units) across ports from the Americas to Asia. Significant expansion is underway in key markets around the world, including in India, China and the Middle East.

With the recent acquisition of P&O, DP World has a global capacity of 50 million TEU and a dedicated, experienced and professional team of 30,000 people providing services in some of the most dynamic economies in the world.