DP World adds cranes to Southampton

DP World has received two of Europe's largest quay cranes at Southampton in a GBP60 million (US$79.3 million) investment to boost capacity for larger ships and higher trade volumes, reported Saint Petersburg's PortNews.

The fully assembled cranes arrived by sea on 19 June and will be discharged directly onto the terminal quayside early next week. Each weighs more than 2,000 tonnes and stands nearly 150 metres high, over 50 metres taller than Big Ben.

The cranes are the first of two pairs scheduled for delivery in 2026, with a second pair due later this year. Once installed, Southampton will have 16 cranes serving the port.

Capable of handling the largest container ships in operation, including 24,000-TEU vessels, the cranes can perform tandem lifts of two 40ft containers at once. DP World said the investment will improve efficiency, reliability and vessel turnaround times.

Southampton is the UK's third-largest container port, with links to Asia, the Middle East and the Americas. The terminal handled more than two million TEU in 2025, contributing to DP World's UK total of over five million TEU in a national market of more than nine million TEU.