Construction is now under way on Tradepoint Atlantic’s and Terminal Investment Limited’s (TiL) Sparrows Point Container Terminal, a planned 168-acre container terminal and on-dock rail facility at the Port of Baltimore in Maryland, which is slated to expand Port container-handling capacity by 70%.
Once completed in 2030, the terminal will elevate Baltimore from the sixth- to the third-largest container port on the Eastern Seaboard, according to the Office of Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, who was an attendee of the facility’s May 1 groundbreaking event. The site is expected to handle approximately 1 million containers annually and generate an estimated $1.5 billion in economic activity for the state. It will feature seven ship-to-shore cranes capable of servicing two ultra-large container vessels simultaneously. It will also support 1,100 permanent International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) union jobs and an additional 7,000 indirect jobs connected to the terminal’s operations.
The Sparrows Point Container Terminal will be serviced by an on-dock intermodal rail yard operated by Tradepoint Atlantic’s short line, Tradepoint Rail. It is anticipated that 30% of the expected container volume of the terminal will use rail to move containerized cargo further inland (download fact sheet below). This equates to approximately 375 trains per year (one per day) starting on opening. Rail volume is expected to level out around 750 trains per year (two per day). While it is expected that a majority of the terminal’s cargo would access CSX, the terminal will also access Norfolk Southern.
Tradepoint Atlantic and TiL secured approximately $1.2 billion in private financing to deliver the facility, according to the Governor’s Office. The facility, it said, is also backed by state and federal investments including $48 million in conditional loans from the Maryland Department of Commerce through the Sunny Day Fund, to be dispersed over the next six state fiscal years pending approval from the Legislative Policy Committee; $2 million in conditional loans from the Maryland Department of Commerce through the Advantage Maryland program; $38 million in fiscal 2025 and 2026 State budget allocations; “a payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) agreement” with Baltimore County, Md.; and a $39.7 million federal grant through the U.S. Maritime Administration’s Port Infrastructure Development Program.
“This groundbreaking marks one of the most significant moments in the history of this site and for the Port of Baltimore,” Tradepoint Atlantic Managing Director Kerry Doyle said. “Our partnership with TiL is a transformational investment in Maryland’s economy and Baltimore’s future. The Sparrows Point Container Terminal will position the Port as a true global gateway and economic engine, making Maryland strategically significant and globally competitive for decades to come.”
“TiL is proud to partner with Tradepoint Atlantic on this landmark project and major private investment,” added TiL CEO Ammar Kanaan. “Our commitment to Baltimore and the state of Maryland reflects our confidence in this market and our belief that this terminal will be a critical driver of economic growth and opportunity for the region and the broader East Coast. Furthermore, with the help of our majority shareholder MSC [Mediterranean Shipping Company], we expect Baltimore to become the cargo gateway for not just Maryland but the entire Midwest.”
“Today’s [May 1] groundbreaking at Sparrows Point is exactly the kind of strategic, long-term port investment the United States needs,” said Stephen Carmel, Administrator of the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration (MARAD). “The Department of Transportation and MARAD are committed to building a resilient maritime supply chain. Through the $39.7 million Port Infrastructure Development Program grant, MARAD is proud to support the terminal’s expansion. This project will dramatically strengthen America’s maritime supply chain and expand domestic cargo capacity on the East Coast.”
“The Port of Baltimore and surrounding communities have built their livelihoods on the strength of this Port, and today’s [May 1] groundbreaking ensures that strength will only grow,” ILA Local 333 President Scott Cowan said. “The Sparrows Point Container Terminal means more jobs, more cargo, and more opportunity for our members. We are proud to support this investment and look forward to the work ahead.”
Further Reading:
- NTSB: Single Loose Wire Caused Dali Blackouts That Led to Key Bridge Disaster
- Watch: Baltimore’s Federal Channel Now Fully Restored to Original Operating Dimensions
- Watch: Two Baltimore Temporary Channels Now Open
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