New state-of-the-art Port Delaware is in the works

Port Delaware will have two terminals. Port Delaware North, the new Edgemoor facility, and Port Delaware South, the existing Port of Wilmington.

The State of Delaware is to get a new Port Delaware. The state is join the private operator of the Port of Wilmington, Enstructure, to build a new port terminal at a site in Edgemoor, Del. When the new state of the art facility at Edgemoor is operational, the newly created Port Delaware will have two terminals. Port Delaware North, the new Edgemoor facility, and Port Delaware South, the existing Port of Wilmington.

The Edgemoor industrial site was purchased in 2017 by the taxpayer-owned Diamond State Port Corporation (DSPC) which subsequently secured the necessary permits to construct a new port terminal.

The $635 million infrastructure project will be largest shipping terminal in Delaware since the current Port of Wilmington opened in 1923. The investment in the new state-of-the-art “green port” is aimed at ensuing the long-term success of Delaware’s maritime industry, by quadrupling the port’s capacity for container cargo and enabling new and larger ships to be serviced. Construction of the Edgemoor port will take about three years.

It is estimated that the new Edgemoor terminal will create nearly 6,000 new jobs, including more than 3,100 direct jobs. Total state and local taxes generated from Edgemoor are estimated at $39.4 million annually. In addition, building the new facility will create more than 3,900 construction jobs and generate $42.3 million in tax revenues.

Once completed and fully operational, “Port Delaware,” including both the existing and new terminals, will generate a total of about 11,480 jobs and $76.2 million in tax revenues for the state, making it one of Delaware’s largest employment centers.

The existing Port of Wilmington is a significant source of high-paying jobs to support Delaware families. Many of its longshoremen earn annual incomes of more than $100,000, with a recent national report estimating the average annual salary of a maritime worker at $98,000.

Construction of the new port facility will be conducted in three phases, with the first to be completed over an estimated 32-month period. Much of the early work in the first phase will be focused on waterside construction – building a seawall, high deck and associated dredging. Landside construction of the actual terminal will come later with proactive public participation and community engagement. Phases two and three of the project will be built by Enstructure when business justifies the additional capacity.

The state of Delaware will take on responsibility for approximately 31% of the cost of building the facility, or $195 million. Enstructure will pay most of the construction and equipment costs, beginning with $170 million to support Phase 1 of the project and an additional $165 million to complete phases 2 and 3, which equals 53%of the entire project. Remaining costs will come from federal sources and the DSPC. State funds will come from excess abandoned property revenues made available in previous state bond bills for specific one-time uses, including maritime terminal development.

State leaders and Enstructure joined in their support of the new port:

“For decades, jobs at the Port of Wilmington have been a gateway into the middle class for thousands of workers and their families— the kind of jobs our state and country were built on,” said Gov. John Carney. “This investment to expand the port will position Delaware to compete for container cargo and larger ships. It will bring new, good-paying union jobs to Wilmington. I am pleased to see strong bipartisan support for this important and necessary next step in making the planned Edgemoor expansion a reality.”

“We are excited to partner with the State of Delaware, the Diamond State Port Corporation, the Delaware Building Trades and the International Longshoremen’s Association to significantly expand Delaware’s port infrastructure,” said Enstructure co-CEOs Matthew Satnick and Philippe De Montigny. “The Port Delaware Container Terminal will broaden Enstructure’s terminal network and logistics services, while enhancing our ability to serve our customers.”

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