Port of Wilmington eyes potential expansion in buying former Chemours site

The state owned Port of Wilmington will purchase Chemours former Edgemoor site for $10 million as it looks at the possibility of expanding the port facility.

Chemours announced it would be closing the 114-acre Edgemoor manufacturing site in August 2015. The proximity to the Port of Wilmington makes it a prime spot for the possibility of expanding the port to receive more cargo. 

“The current port is near capacity, and with larger ships coming up the East Coast, we need this space to compete for their business,” said Governor-elect John Carney, D-Delaware. “I’m looking forward to building on this momentum and continuing to expand operations at the port.”

The existing Port of Wilmington handles about 400 vessels annually with a total import/export tonnage of more than six million tons. It is the largest port of entry for fresh fruits, bananas, and juice concentrate in North America. 

Earlier this year, the Diamond State Port Corporation, which runs the port, issued a strategic plan that found expanding the port would be a necessity for its long-term survival. “While this purchase does not guarantee that a new port facility will be built at Edgemoor, it does give us a valuable option to market to potential investors,” said Delaware Secretary of State Jeffrey Bullock. The plan, according to Bullock, who is also DSPC chairman, is to market the Edgemoor site along with Riveredge, a location south of the Delaware Memorial Bridge, as possible sites for expanding the port. “We are hopeful, of course, that in time both will be developed,” Bullock said.

The sale of the Chemours site is expected to close early next year.