The General Assembly Tuesday signed off on an agreement that paves the way for an international port operator in the world to lease the Port of Wilmington and set the stage for investments totaling half a billion dollars.
The resolution passed the House on a voice vote, while the Senate vote was unanimous.
The State of Delaware earlier reached a preliminary agreement with the Gulftainer Group to lease the Port of Wilmington from the state, construct a new container shipping facility on the Delaware River, and add jobs at the port during the next decade.
The Gulftainer Group is one of the largest independent, privately-owned port operators in the world. The company currently operates 15 ports and logistics facilities on four continents, including North America. Gulftainer has operated the Port of Canaveral, FL. for nearly four years, establishing the Canaveral Cargo Terminal as a significant new port gateway.
Under terms of the agreement, Gulftainer’s subsidiary GT USA would agree to invest more than $580 million in the port over the next nine years, including approximately $410 million for a new container facility at DuPont’s former Edgemoor site, which was acquired by the Diamond State Port Corporation in 2016.
As previously announced GT USA would also make annual royalty payments to the state reaching an estimated $13 million during the next decade. The company also would establish a training facility at the Edgemoor site for jobs in the ports and logistics industries, with a goal of training 1,000 aspiring workers each year for jobs in Wilmington and beyond.
The state and its Diamond State Port Corp. entity would be relieved of the burden of capital improvements for the port. The port has operated at a loss much of the time, according to a recent financial report.
GT USA also would guarantee that the number of jobs held at the port by members of the International Longshoremen’s Association would not fall below current levels.
There was scattered opposition from conservative groups, mainly from outside Delaware, who claimed the company has ties to Islamic extremists and Russian interests. One scenario trotted out by opponents claimed that missiles launched from cargo containers could be smuggled into the port.
One California Congressman, citing security concerns, asked that the Trump Administration study the lease deal. (See earlier story)
