DP World London Gateway has marked a significant milestone with the arrival of its first ship under the new Gemini Cooperation, a partnership between shipping giants Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd. The Maersk Stadelhorn became the first vessel to call at London Gateway on 19 March as part of the Gemini ME2/IEX India-Europe service. This follows the announcement of the agreement in November, highlighting the growing importance of London Gateway as a key hub in global shipping networks.
The Maersk Stadelhorn’s journey under the Gemini service saw it departing the UK to call at several major ports, including Hamburg, Tanger Med, Colombo, Kamarajar, Algeciras, and Rotterdam.
The arrival at London Gateway comes just weeks after DP World Southampton welcomed its own first Gemini vessel, the MV Leonidio, on 3 February. The Leonidio operates on the Transatlantic AL1/AT3 service, linking major European ports like Rotterdam, Hamburg, and Wilhelmshaven with key destinations across the Atlantic, including New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Saint John in Canada.
The Gemini move is happening alongside major changes at the Port of Felixstowe. CK Hutchison has reached an agreement with BlackRock, Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), and Terminal Investment Limited (TiL), a subsidiary of MSC, to sell 80% of its ports division for $22.8 billion. The deal includes 43 ports across 23 countries but excludes the HPH Trust, which operates ports in Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and South China, as well as other Chinese ports.
The launch of the Gemini service at both London Gateway and Southampton, combined with the Felixstowe deal, underscores the UK’s growing strategic importance in global shipping and trade infrastructure.