DP World and Gemini Cooperation to bolster cargo operations in Canada

Dubai-based terminal operator DP World has shaken hands with the Gemini Cooperation to “enhance” cargo operations across Canada.

As disclosed, commencing from February 2025, the DP World is set to introduce several new container services at its terminals at the Port of Prince Rupert, the Port of Vancouver, and Port Saint John, the latter two of which became members of the Green Marine program in November 2024. This program is aimed at addressing priority environmental issues through 14 performance indicators, including air emissions, greenhouse gases, spill prevention, waste management, and community relations.

According to the UAE-based maritime player, the agreement with the Gemini Cooperation—an operational collaboration between Denmark’s A.P. Moller-Maersk and Germany’s Hapag-Lloyd covering East-West trade routes, slated to start also from February this year—could potentially help DP World present additional options for cargo loading and discharge at the three ports.

It is understood that Saint John will manage services connecting to Northern Europe, while Vancouver and Prince Rupert—which is North America’s closest port to Asia and is considered a ‘vital’ link for transpacific trade—are set to handle ‘key’ shipping services to and from that continent.

“By uniting the strengths of DP World’s Canadian terminal network with the innovative approach of Gemini Cooperation, we are paving the way for seamless and reliable connections between Asia, Europe, and North America,” Doug Smith, CEO of DP World in Canada, remarked.

Over the years, DP World has made efforts to ‘strengthen’ Canada’s role in facilitating global trade via a number of initiatives and projects.

As informed, in November 2024, the company welcomed two additional cranes—featuring a 65-meter outreach and the ability to span up to 24 containers wide, enabling them to service vessels with capacities exceeding 10,000 TEUs—and has continued expanding its terminal at the Port of Vancouver.

In July 2024, the company joined the Net Zero Supply Chain (NZSC) Initiative, a collaborative endeavor committed to pushing forward the decarbonization of Canada’s freight-transportation supply chains.

At the time, DP World representatives elaborated that the primary goals of this effort would be to up the efficiency and cut carbon emissions linked with goods transport across the Canadian urban centers, to create a ‘quantifiable’ case study that could accelerate the commercial adoption of sustainable technologies via a ‘practical’, data-driven pilot and to unlock long-term cost savings while improving air quality and community health.

On the ‘domestic’ side of the story, the UAE player recently introduced the ‘first’ blue bond in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region amounting to a whopping $100 million. As per DP World, the blue bond will aim to fund environmentally friendly projects across marine transportation, port infrastructure, marine pollution, and nature and water-positive initiatives.