Tradepoint Atlantic and MSC’s Terminal Investment Limited (TiL) broke ground on May 1 for the new Sparrows Point Container Terminal in Baltimore. The joint venture represents a $1.2 billion private investment to develop a 168-acre maritime facility.
Development and Capacity
The Sparrows Point Container Terminal will feature an annual throughput capacity exceeding one million containers. It will operate two berths capable of handling two ultra large container vessels simultaneously. The facility will utilize seven ship-to-shore cranes to manage cargo operations.
TiL, owned by MSC and BlackRock, committed to this project with Tradepoint Atlantic to expand regional capacity.
Kerry Doyle, Managing Director of Tradepoint Atlantic, stated the terminal will make Maryland globally competitive. The project aims to serve the midwestern United States. MSC predicts the terminal completion will increase competitiveness for importers and exporters by moving gateway volume to the Midwest.
What infrastructure does Sparrows Point Container Terminal include?
The Sparrows Point Container Terminal includes a 168-acre site with two vessel berths and an on-dock rail facility. This rail infrastructure will accommodate double-stacking rail cars to provide direct intermodal connectivity.
The terminal is located on the former Bethlehem Steel site. This location previously housed the world’s largest iron and steel-making facility and a shipyard. Industrial operations at the Bethlehem Steel site ended in 2014. Plans to redevelop the area into a multi-use industrial park were announced two years later. TiL joined the redevelopment plans in 2023 to partner on the new container terminal.
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Project Timeline and Port Context
The Army Corps of Engineers approved final permits for the facility in December 2025. Tradepoint Atlantic expects to complete the first berth by the third quarter of 2028. Construction of the second berth is scheduled to finish in early 2029.
Governor Wes Moore and other officials noted the project is a key phase for the Port of Baltimore. The port recorded a record-breaking year in 2025. During that year, it handled over 1.1 million TEU at its Seagirt Marine Terminal. The new facility will add significant capacity alongside existing port operations.