Groundbreaking Starts Sparrows Point Container Terminal for Baltimore
Tradepoint Atlantic and MSC’s Terminal Investment Limited (TiL) broke ground on May 1 on the Sparrows Point Container Terminal. A key part of the redevelopment of the former Bethlehem Steel site in the Baltimore (Maryland) area, the companies are saying it represents one of the largest private container terminal investments ever made in the U.S.
The new terminal, developed in partnership with TiL, a global leader in container terminal investments owned by MSC and BlackRock, will dramatically expand Baltimore's capacity to handle container cargo and serve the midwestern United States. It is a 168-acre site that will include a container terminal with two berths and an on-dock rail facility able to handle double-stacking rail cars. The terminal's on-dock rail facility will provide direct intermodal connectivity.
Together, TiL and Tradepoint Atlantic have committed approximately $1.2 billion of private finance to deliver a terminal with an annual throughput capacity of more than one million containers, able to handle two ultra-large container vessels simultaneously and equipped with seven ship-to-shore cranes.
MSC said that with the completion of the terminal, it will be able to move more gateway volume to the Midwest. It predicts that this will dramatically increase the competitiveness for importers and exporters.
Rendering of the new terminal due to begin service in 2028 (Tradepoint Atlantic)
"This groundbreaking marks one of the most significant moments in the history of this site and for the Port of Baltimore," said Kerry Doyle, Managing Director of Tradepoint Atlantic. "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."
Sparrows Point was once the world’s largest iron and steel-making facility, operating alongside the shipyard that built ships for many years before converting to a repair yard facility. Operations ended at the site in 2014, and two years later, plans were announced for the redevelopment of the site into a multi-use industrial park. TiL joined the plans, announcing in 2023 that it would partner with Tradepoint Atlantic for the development of the new container terminal.
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Officials ranging from Governor Wes Moore to other elected officials and industry leaders all highlighted the recovery of the Port of Baltimore and called this a key next phase in its development. The Port of Baltimore achieved a record-breaking year in 2025, handling more than 1.1 million TEU at its Seagirt Marine Terminal.
The Army Corps of Engineers approved the final permits for the new container terminal in December 2025. Tradepoint expects to complete the first berth by the third quarter of 2028 and finish the second berth in early 2029.