Megaport: Deep Water Port London

The deep water port is situated in the Thames Estuary, the wide inlet of the River Thames as it makes its way into London. This is the perfect location for a container port, providing access to the sea as well as a deep water harbour for ships to dock and have their cargo unloaded. Using the latest technology, ports like this are important to securing millions of pounds of trade every year for the UK.

This crane is 459 feet tall and provides a variety of services for the port. They lift containers on and off of ships, scan the container numbers and can lift up to four containers in one go. 

This ship has travelled from Australia and is importing lamb and wine. This ship is carrying around 5,000 containers. Containers are carefully organized so that the next ones to be unloaded are easy for the crane to reach.

Although these ships are large, they are staffed by few crew. This ship is 330 metres long and 40 metres wide. It has come from South America and is carrying chicken, fresh fruit and vegetables.

Once the quayside cranes lift containers from the ships, they are moved using these shuttle carriers. They can lift over 40 tonnes of material and so they must be regularly inspected and maintained in this workshop. They use a hydraulic lift system to raise the containers into position to be sorted by an automated stacking crane.

Mauricio is painting part of the stacking crane with rust-resistant paint. This is essential to ensure that water does not corrode the metal underneath. Corroding is the slow damaging of a material - preventing this will make the crane last longer.

Engineers and technicians are employed to maintain all of the equipment. There are around 40 technicians who work in these workshops. They also offer apprenticeships for young engineers to gain practical experience.

In this workshop, 6 of these carriers can be repaired or maintained. Over the whole dock, there are 40 of these in total. They are necessary to move the containers from the thousands of ships using the dock each year.

The containers are moved from the port side to a storage area. From this storage area they can be lifted by these giant robot stacking cranes onto a lorry. These cranes can operate automatically using a sophisticated computer system - or can be controlled manually from the port’s control centre. 

This means that the area where containers are lifted and stored is not accessible by foot - which is safer for both lorry drivers and port employees.

In spite of their great height, these cranes are designed to withstand poor weather - even storms. If the port has to stop operating, it has a knock-on effect for the chain of supply and demand.

These cranes have been designed to lift and move heavy containers from stacked piles onto waiting lorries - or onto other vehicles which transport it to the railway terminal. They also use lasers and sensors to help with accuracy and safety. 

The cranes are able to cover a large distance while carrying the containers by using these rails. The two legs of the crane roll back and forth, carrying and moving the containers in the most space effective way possible.

Because of the size of the port, and the many containers it must handle every day, it’s important to be organised. In the port’s control centre the automated systems are monitored and controlled. The staff can also track maintenance, ship arrivals, outsize cargo, customs processes - and many other factors which allow the smooth processing of the containers. 

The office uses high tech equipment like cameras and sensors, as well as a radio communications with all staff, to keep an eye on all proceedings. 

Much like a large puzzle, the developments of the day have to be organized and analyzed to ensure that there is no interruption in service. This screen keeps track of exactly when each container arrives and departs the port.

This yellow jacket is worn by staff members when they are walking around the site. This ensures that they are visible, reducing their chances of being involved in an accident.

As well as lowering containers onto lorries for their onward travel, the deep water port also has the largest port rail terminal in the U.K. This rail terminal is connected to the major freight stations in the UK, Europe and China and has trains leaving 24 hours a day. This terminal is maintained by a 3rd party distributor - this means that they are responsible for the containers reaching their destination.

This is a clamp which lifts the containers into position. This is the same type used in other cranes. In this case, it is used to perfectly place the container onto a railway wagon, ready to be transported away.

When a ship arrives in port, the time it stays varies depending on how much is being unloaded. They spend between 12  and 24 hours in port, allowing enough time for the containers to be unloaded and processed.

Transporting goods by rail networks often has advantages over roads. Their journey can be more direct, trains are more efficient than lorries, and they aren’t affected by roadworks or traffic.

These lorries are being loaded with their cargo and are ready to be sent to their final destination. These lorries will deliver their goods to warehouses where they’re sorted to be taken to shops and supermarkets. The drivers book their slot to pick up the container through an online system. The port’s computer systems and control centre work together to ensure the containers are stacked in the correct place.

These trucks can complete their pickup in 40 minutes, from the moment they enter the port, to when they leave with their cargo. This allows the containers to be moved to their onward journey quickly and efficiently.

As well as being a hub for imports, trucks also bring Britain’s exports here to be traded overseas. Britain exports manufactured goods, as well as engineering products - like aircraft parts and cars.

Because of the location of London Gateway, and its proximity to major road networks, they can reduce miles travelled by the trucks leaving this location. This is better for the environment as it reduces the pollution caused by these journeys.