DP World is investing USD$226 million (£170 million) in container handling technology at its London Gateway logistics hub, marking a step forward in the digitalization and automation of port operations.

The new Empty Superstack represents a revolutionary approach to handling empty containers. Using High Bay Storage (HBS) technology, the system will store 20- and 40-foot empty containers up to 16 tiers high inside a fully enclosed, automated facility. The result is an improvement in yard capacity, safety and efficiency.

Developed by BOXBAY, a joint venture between DP World and Germany’s SMS group, the fully electric stacker cranes can handle containers with precision, retrieving and delivering them automatically for onward transport. Designed to integrate seamlessly into existing port operations, the modular Empty Superstack system requires no changes to landside or seaside interfaces. By removing multiple tiers of empty containers from the automated stacking crane (ASC) yard, the system reduces rehandling and housekeeping, allowing ASCs to operate more efficiently and improving performance across the quay. 

Installed at London Gateway’s new all-electric Berth 4, BOXBAY’s Empty Superstack will be capable of holding up to 27,000 TEU and will deliver gains in safety, operational efficiency, and environmental performance. The project will take just over two years to complete.

The BOXBAY system has already proven its capabilities through trials at DP World’s Jebel Ali Port in Dubai, where nearly 500,000 TEU were handled using the technology.