DUBAI, Aug 16 (NNN-WAM) – Dubai Ports (DP) World, a United Arab Emirates (UAE) port operator, expects to expand its container handling capacity by about three million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), by the end of the year, it was reported yesterday.
DP World, which ranks among the top five global port operators, handles approximately nine percent of the world’s total containers. Upon expansion, its capacity will rise to 93.6 million TEUs, enabling it to meet growing demand in main trade markets, said the report.
The global container throughput is projected to grow to 932 million TEUs by 2025, Drewry, an independent maritime research consultancy firm was quoted.
It noted that, the DP World’s expansion plan comes at a time when geopolitical uncertainties and other factors raise concern about global trade, and boost the demand for faster supply chains with greater resilience.
“The capacity expansion will further strengthen our position as a leading global supply chain solutions provider, connecting economies, businesses and consumers around the world,” Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, the company’s chairman and chief executive, was quoted as saying.
Additionally, the expansion projects will also focus on digitalisation. The company aims to streamline operations using modern terminal operating systems at each port, permitting greater flow of trade and more efficient processing.
Furthermore, DP World believed, carbon reduction could be possible, by introducing automated equipment, which is powered by electricity, to replace fossil-fuelled ones.
