Dawn of the super-ports? Mammoth ships force ports to adapt

Eoghan Macguire, for CNN
Updated 9:40 AM EDT, Fri October 4, 2013
London Gateway is a new deep-sea container port situated on the Thames Estuary just outside London.
Dawn of the super-port? —
London Gateway is a new deep-sea container port situated on the Thames Estuary just outside London.
CNN
The giant facility is spread over a 995 acre area and will also host Europe's largest logistics park.
Dawn of the super-port? —
The giant facility is spread over a 995 acre area and will also host Europe's largest logistics park.
CNN
Busy workers put rail tracks into place. New hinterland rail and road services will help to move all products to come off ships quickly and sharply.
Dawn of the super-port? —
Busy workers put rail tracks into place. New hinterland rail and road services will help to move all products to come off ships quickly and sharply.
CNN
These giant cranes were specially built and transported all the way from China. They have the capability to service the world's largest ships.
Dawn of the super-port? —
These giant cranes were specially built and transported all the way from China. They have the capability to service the world's largest ships.
CNN
A lorry waits in a loading bay at London Gateway while a ship is unloaded in the background.
Dawn of the super-port? —
A lorry waits in a loading bay at London Gateway while a ship is unloaded in the background.
Courtesy DP World London Gateway
A Maersk Triple E vessel, the world's largest container ship, sails into Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The London Gateway will be one of the few ports in the world to have the facilities to cope with Triple E.
Dawn of the super-port? —
A Maersk Triple E vessel, the world's largest container ship, sails into Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The London Gateway will be one of the few ports in the world to have the facilities to cope with Triple E.
Jerry LampenAFP/GETTY IMAGES
Construction work is carried out on the London Gateway.
Dawn of the super-port? —
Construction work is carried out on the London Gateway.
Courtesy DP World
A CGI image of the London Gateway container port as it will look once finished. The port is scheduled to welcome its first vessel in November.
Dawn of the super-port? —
A CGI image of the London Gateway container port as it will look once finished. The port is scheduled to welcome its first vessel in November.
Courtesy DP World
London Gateway

The Gateway goes behind the scenes of the world’s major transport hubs, revealing the logistics that keep goods and people moving.

Story highlights

London Gateway is a new deep water container port on the Thames Estuary near London

The giant facility will be able to cater for the world's largest ships

Many existing ports are being forced to adapt their facilities to cope with the ever increasing size of container ships

CNN  — 

On the northern banks of the Thames Estuary outside London, a soft tide laps against the perimeter of Britain’s latest multi-billion dollar development project.

Situated just 25 miles downriver from the ornate splendor of the Houses of Parliament and the suave sophistication of the Shard Tower, the DP World London Gateway is a new deep-sea container port that will welcome its first vessel at the beginning of November.

The 995 acre site has taken more than three years to construct, carries a price tag of £1.5 billion ($2.4 billion) and has the advanced technological capabilities to host the ever increasing heft of the world’s biggest ships.