New terminal for Philadelphia

The project that will have an annual capacity of 2.4m TEUs in its first phase.

The Philadelphia Regional Port Authority (PRPA), has revealed plans for a major extension of their terminal facilities on the Delaware River. The ‘SouthPort’ project represents the largest new port expansion in nearly 40 years. Philadelphia is seeking to capitalise on its position in that many warehouses built for New York are actually nearer Philadelphia than the New York terminals themselves and ports on the east coast are unable to cope with the growth in container business. Philadelphia’s cheaper handling costs make for an attractive alternative, the authority claims, and there is land and waterfront space available for terminal expansion. Initial investment is expected to be around US$223m and will enable the port to handle 500,000 TEUs a year.