The expansion of Terminal 2 at Jebel Ali port in Dubai is on target to open within the first half of 2013, with 60 per cent of the construction work completed, according to port operator DP World.

The port expansion will add an additional one million 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) to the Jebel Ali’s overall container capacity. The construction work involves the quay wall being extended from 400 metres to 3,000 metres, which will allow the port to handle six 15,000 TEU mega ships at the same time.

Terminal 2 opened in 2008 and marks the last major expansion at the port.

Work on Terminal 3 has also begun at Jebel Ali, with construction due to be completed in 2014.  The third terminal will have a quay length of 1,860 metres and will add a further 4 million TEUs to overall capacity.

The current port capacity at Jebel Ali stands at 15 million TEUs and is set to increase to 19 million TEU once Terminals 1 and 2 are completed.  By 2014, Jebel Ali will be able to handle 10 18,000 TEU mega vessels at the same time, the only port in the region equipped with this capability.