Port of Wilmington (Delaware)

The Port of Wilmington (formerly Wilmington Marine Terminal[1]) is a deep-water port located at the confluence of the Christina River and the Delaware River in Wilmington, Delaware, 65 miles (105 km) from the Atlantic Ocean. The port has been ranked as the top North American port for imports of fresh fruit, bananas, and juice concentrate, and as having the largest dock-side cold storage facility.[2]

Port of Wilmington
The Port of Wilmington as seen from Interstate 495 on July 9, 2011.
Location
CountryUnited States
LocationWilmington, Delaware
Coordinates39°43′06″N 75°31′25″W
Details
Opened1923
Operated byGT USA
Owned byDiamond State Port Corporation
Land area308 acres (1.25 km2)
Available berths10 (general cargo × 7, petroleum × 1, floating RoRo × 1, auto and RoRo × 1)
Chief Executive OfficerEric Casey
Cargo handling3 gantry cranes (50-ton cap. × 2, 75-ton cap. × 1)
Dry storage facilities50 acres (0.20 km2) open space; 250,000 square feet (23,000 m2) dry warehouse space
Temperature controlled storage facilities6 warehouses (800,000 square feet (74,000 m2) chilled/freezer storage; 16,000 square feet (1,500 m2) controlled atmosphere storage)
Statistics
Vessel arrivals624 (2018)
Annual cargo tonnage6,603,444 (2018)
Annual container volume384,641 (2018)
Annual liquid bulk petroleum1,409,000 tons (CY2009)
Main imports/exportsFresh fruit, bananas, juice concentrate, automobiles, steel, forest products, livestock, petroleum
Website
http://www.portofwilmington.com

History
Aerial view of Wilmington Marine Terminal showing cargo-handling facilities, ca. 1920s.

The first development of a marine terminal in Wilmington was completed in 1923 at the location of the current Port of Wilmington. A number of improvements and expansions were made to the port over the course of the following decades. In 1972, Del Monte made the port its "principal North American port-of-discharge" for bananas and pineapples. Four years later, Volkswagen of America chose the port as its hub for imports of Volkswagen, Audi, and Porsche automobiles to North America and the Port of Wilmington constructed a floating dock to receive these products. In June 1995, the state of Delaware purchased the port from the city of Wilmington and created Diamond State Port Corporation to operate the facility. In October 2007, the Port of Wilmington became the first port to implement the Transportation Worker Identification Credential.[3][4][5]

In 2011, the Port sought to expand operations to include new construction of a berth suitable for container ships on the Delaware River.[6]

Facilities
Port of Wilmington terminal location
1
Port of Wilmington

The port has a 3,435-foot (1,047 m) wharf face along the Christina River with depths of 35–38 feet (11–12 m) alongside.[7] There are nine berths facing the Christina River,[6] including seven general cargo berths, one petroleum berth, one floating roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) berth. An automobile berth faces the Delaware River.[6]

Cargo handling facilities include two 50-ton capacity gantry cranes and one 75-ton capacity gantry crane. The port has 50 acres (0.20 km2) of open space for storage, 250,000 square feet (23,000 m2) of dry warehouse space, and six temperature-controlled warehouses totaling 816,000 square feet (75,800 m2) of storage space.[8] The port is served by CSX and Norfolk Southern railroads and is located near Interstate 495.[8]

The Seamen's Center, located in the Port of Wilmington complex, provides services to visiting seamen such as entertainment, transportation, and spiritual guidance. The center is supported by the Episcopal Diocese of Delaware.[9]

Not located at the Port, but in close proximity, is a refrigerated trailer hub which accommodates the multi-day parking of trucks with perishable cargo destined for transport out of the Port.[10]

Operations

The Port of Wilmington handles fresh fruit, bananas, juice concentrate, automobiles, steel, forest products, livestock, petroleum, and other cargo. The port has handled specialized cargo such as Antares rocket parts from Ukraine and wind turbine blades from South America.[11][12] In 2018, the port handled 624 vessels; total tonnage of 6,603,444 short tons (5,990,544 t), of which 1,447,625 short tons (1,313,263 t) was dry bulk cargo; 384,641 TEUs of containerized cargo.[13]

The Port receives approximately $2 million USD from the State of Delaware in support of operations on an annual basis.[6]

Dole Food Company operations make the port the largest facility in the United States for banana imports.[14][15]

Magellan Midstream Partners operates a tank farm in the port.

See also

References
  1. Cohen, William (1991). Regulatory Definition of the Port of Wilmington under the Delaware Coastal Zone Act. [Newark, Del.]: Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Planning and Support Section. p. 3.
  2. "Our Port". Port of Wilmington. Diamond State Port Corporation. Archived from the original on February 17, 2007. Retrieved December 3, 2010.
  3. Cohen, William (1991). Regulatory Definition of the Port of Wilmington under the Delaware Coastal Zone Act. [Newark, Delaware]: Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Planning and Support Section. p. 2.
  4. "Port History since 1923". Port of Wilmington. Diamond State Port Corporation. Archived from the original on July 15, 2011. Retrieved December 3, 2010.
  5. "First Workers Apply for Federal Port Security Credential". Transportation Security Administration. October 15, 2007. Archived from the original on July 4, 2011. Retrieved December 14, 2010.
  6. Aaron Nathans (29 April 2011). "Port of Wilmington looks for 'partnership'". The News Journal. Wilmington, Delaware: Gannett. delawareonline. Retrieved 30 April 2011.
  7. United States Coast Pilot. 3 (43rd ed.). Washington, D.C.: National Ocean Service. 2010. p. 223. Retrieved December 3, 2010.
  8. "Port Profile". Port of Wilmington. Diamond State Port Corporation. Archived from the original on July 15, 2011. Retrieved December 3, 2010.
  9. "Seamen's Center, Port of Wilmington, Delaware". Episcopal Diocese of Delaware. Archived from the original on February 21, 2013. Retrieved December 14, 2010.
  10. Montgomery, Jeff (May 5, 2012), "A win-win project for air, residents", The News Journal, retrieved May 5, 2012
  11. MacArthur, Peter (November 24, 2010). "Rocket Comes to Port of Wilmington". WDEL/Delmarva Broadcasting Company. Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved December 3, 2010.
  12. Nathans, Aaron (November 12, 2010). "Delaware Business: Wind Turbine Blades Arrive in Wilmington". DelawareOnline. Retrieved December 3, 2010.
  13. "BTS Port Performance Freight Statistics Program". Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Diamond State Port Corporation. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  14. Lloyd, Linda (August 1, 2013). "Dole may shift from Wilmington to new Paulsboro port". Phi. Retrieved 2013-07-10.
  15. Forand, Rebecca (August 1, 2013). "Port of Paulsboro could be new site for Dole Fruit shipments". South Jersey Times. Retrieved 2013-07-10.
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