Delaware’s $635 Million Port Project Set to Transform Wilmington

Delaware is moving forward with a $635 million plan to expand the Port of Wilmington by building a new port, Port Delaware North, two miles north of the existing facility. The project aims to quadruple the port's container capacity, create thousands of jobs, and generate significant tax revenue for the state.

The new terminal, which will be the state’s largest infrastructure project since the Route 1 highway construction, comes after the state replaced Gulftainer, the Emirati conglomerate that managed the port for nearly five years but failed to meet job and expansion promises. The new operator, Massachusetts-based Enstructure, is expected to deliver on these commitments with a $170 million investment in the first phase and another $165 million in two successive phases.

Officials project the creation of 4,000 construction jobs, generating approximately $42 million in state and local tax revenues. Once operational, the port is expected to create 6,000 new jobs, with about half at the port itself for dock and warehouse workers, and the rest in support roles such as trucking. These jobs are anticipated to generate about $40 million in annual tax revenues. The existing port will be renamed Port Delaware South.

The new port will be constructed on the site of DuPont’s former pigments plant, which closed in 2016. The state acquired the site in 2017 and has since been working on remediation and obtaining the necessary permits for the new container ship facility.

The need for a new port

Secretary of State Jeff Bullock emphasized that Enstructure will fund the majority of the expansion, with the state contributing $195 million and additional federal grants. In comments to WHYY, Bullock mentioned the main beneficiaries of the new project. “It’s not just the longshoreman who works on the dock. It’s the truck drivers that come in and out of the facility,” he said about who would benefit from this new initiative. “It’s the gas station owner. It’s the guy that owns a restaurant or a dry cleaner or any of a number of other businesses that might be utilized by some of the people that benefit more directly from maritime activity.”

Bill Ashe, president of the International Longshoremen’s Union Local 1694, offered a more dire view of the current situation.“How can we service vessels when we don’t have space to service what we have right now? At some point, we will run out of what we have right now and we’ll lose the customers that we have.”

Enstructure’s Bayard Hogans, who oversees the Wilmington operation, confirmed that the project is “shovel-ready” and that construction is expected to begin next year. The new terminal, with a depth of 45 feet compared to the existing port’s 40 feet, will accommodate larger container ships, benefiting major retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Home Depot, and Best Buy.

The expansion will occur in three phases, starting with dredging and waterside construction. The project has bipartisan support and is seen as crucial for maintaining Delaware’s competitive edge in maritime trade.

House Speaker Valerie Longhurst emphasized the long-term economic benefits. “Investing in this new port is investing in Delaware’s future,” she said in a statement. “We need to build this new port to keep our maritime economy competitive in the years ahead.”