A container terminal expansion outside Wilmington, Del., has begun early construction after state lawmakers approved an additional $110 million to fill a funding gap in the project’s $669 million first phase.
Gov. Matt Meyer (D) signed the state’s FY 2027 capital budget on June 29, approving the additional funding. The endowment follows the approval of Diamond State Port Corp.’s board. (DSPC) of a revised funding plan last month.
The new Delaware Container Terminal, under construction near Edgemoor, is intended to expand the Port of Wilmington’s container capacity and accommodate larger ships.
Photo courtesy of Enstructure
The revision was prompted by an increased estimate for Phase 1 due to inflation, scope changes supporting terminal electrification and rate-related cost escalation, according to board documents.
Demolition work has begun at the Edgemoor site in preparation for larger construction later this summer, with DSPC saying the first phase began on June 1 and is progressing as planned until 2028 before ship cranes are delivered ashore and commissioned.
Expanded scope
The additional funding supports a substantially expanded engineering scope beyond the marine terminal itself.
The equipment package includes the conversion of four existing ship-to-shore cranes and two gantry cranes with diesel rubber tires to electric power, installation of nine electric gantry cranes with rubber tires, 110 electric terminal tractors, 15 electric overhead handlers and 54 DC fast chargers.
The project aims to quadruple the port’s container capacity, accommodate larger container ships and meet growing international cargo demand, while freeing up capacity at the existing Port of Wilmington for military and agricultural cargo as well as potential offshore wind farms.
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According to DSPC board minutes from May 2025, Enstructure told the board it had signed on Walsh Group & Soletanche Bachy JV as the engineering, procurement and construction contractor after completing a request for proposals process. Enstructure said the joint venture would undertake the progressive design and construction work for the project.
Project documents reviewed by ENR show that Jacobs is acting as an engineering consultant for electrical infrastructure planning and estimating support for the electrification of the ship-to-shore crane, cargo infrastructure and expansion of the rubber-tired gantry crane yard.
The documents identify Paul Bridges as a specialist consultant for crane electrification work and list Kone, Orange EV/TICO and Taylor Machine Works as proposed suppliers for the main electrical load handling equipment.
Under the project’s long-term concession agreement, Enstructure’s subsidiary Port Wilmington is responsible for the procurement of construction equipment and contractors.
The EPA Clean Ports grant application states that the deal will leverage Enstructure’s “national footprint of marine terminal operations expertise.”
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The project cleared a major regulatory hurdle in April when the Department of the Army issued permits authorizing dock construction and dredging after additional navigation and safety analyzes requested after earlier litigation.
“This marks a definite turning point for the DSPC expansion project,” said DSPC President Charuni Patibanda-Sanchez. “[We] … engaged the Jacobs Engineering Group, an international company with decades of marine infrastructure experience, to provide additional independent analysis around the project.”
Representatives for Diamond State Port Corp., Enstructure, Walsh Group and Soletanche Bachy did not immediately respond to requests for comment seeking additional details about the project’s construction team and current construction activities.
