DP World Invests $300M in Port Security

Dubai Ports World (DP World), the world's third-largest port operator, is investing around $300m in port security, local newspaper Gulf News reported recently. The money will be used to secure 42 terminals worldwide, according to DP World's director of security David Fairnie. DP World has commissioned a three-tier foolproof container security initiative that involves X-ray, radiation and Optical Container Recognition (OCR), according to Fairnie. These can detect any radiation being emitted from the container, while the OCR captures container data and manages the supply chain. The company has also employed closed-circuit television (CCTV), alarm systems as well as anti-invasion systems across all its ports and terminal facilities. DP World, which manages 42 terminals in 22 countries, currently owns a capacity of 48 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent container units). The company also plans to invest billions of dollars over the next few years in several countries including India, Turkey, Britain, Holland, Peru, Senegal and China. Its capacity is expected to increase to around 90 million TEUs by 2017 when new terminals are ready. [Source: http://news.xinhuanet.com]