Paulsboro Marine Terminal’s Pivot

Paulsboro Marine Terminal (PMT) on New Jersey’s Delaware-River shoreline was once touted as the East Coast’s keystone for offshore-wind manufacturing. Today, welders on the same quay are cutting up half-finished monopiles for scrap while mobile harbor cranes swing record volumes of steel coils onto railcars.
The abrupt shift is no accident; it tracks directly to the Trump administration’s January 21 memorandum halting all federal leasing and permitting for offshore-wind projects, which spurred developers such as Ørsted and Shell to walk away from New Jersey waters.

1. From Petrochemicals to Wind Dreams

Opened in 2017 as the first new deep-water general-cargo port on the Delaware River in six decades, PMT quickly specialized in break-bulk steel products. In 2020 the site attracted a $250 million commitment from German fabricator EEW to build monopiles for the burgeoning offshore-wind sector, promising 500 jobs and a new era of green-industry manufacturing.

2. Policy Shock: The 2025 Permit Freeze

On his first full day back in office, President Trump withdrew all Outer Continental Shelf acreage from wind-energy leasing “until revoked,” freezing new permits and ordering an inter-agency moratorium on project reviews. Within weeks, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities canceled its fourth solicitation round, and the Environmental Protection Agency revoked Atlantic Shores’ air permit. Developers read the writing on the wall: Ørsted had already abandoned Ocean Wind 1 & 2 (2.2 GW), and in January Shell exited the Atlantic Shores JV.

3. Developers Pull Out, Monopiles Come Apart

With contracts voided and permits in limbo, EEW American Offshore Structures halted production. Instead of welding new towers, crews at Paulsboro began torch-cutting partially finished monopiles “to sell for scrap,” according to local reporting this spring. Mayor John Giovannitti called the reversal “a punch in the gut,” noting that town budgets had banked on lease revenue and payroll taxes from the plant. Yet the facility’s river frontage and heavy-lift quay could not sit idle.

4. Re-embracing General Cargo: Steel Tonnage Surges

The South Jersey Port Corporation’s February board minutes show PMT handled 107,237 short tons of steel in January 2025—a 76.4 percent jump year-over-year. By March, throughput remained elevated at 85,241 s/tons, and berth occupancy hit nine lay-berth vessels for the month, underscoring a decisive return to bulk and break-bulk volumes. Holt Logistics, the terminal operator, now markets Paulsboro as “handling around two million tons of steel product each year,” leveraging three berths, 40-foot draft, and rail connectivity to CSX, Norfolk Southern and CP Rail.

Why Steel?

• Global overcapacity - U.S. demand: Federal infrastructure spending and automotive re-shoring have buoyed imports of slab, coil and plate.
• Specialized gear: Magnet-equipped mobile harbor cranes allow rapid gang discharge, and new rail-loading software maximizes outbound capacity.
• Bonded status: The 190-acre facility is a U.S. Customs-bonded port, letting importers defer duties until cargo exits the terminal—an attractive feature amid shifting tariff regimes.

5. Supply-Chain & Community Impacts

The shift from offshore wind to general cargo at the Paulsboro Marine Terminal has had significant implications for both the supply chain and the surrounding community. Under the offshore-wind model, the terminal was projected to support approximately 500 skilled jobs, primarily in welding and fabrication—highly specialized roles tied directly to turbine manufacturing. By contrast, the general-cargo model currently supports around 300 positions filled by International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) laborers, crane operators, truck drivers, and other logistics personnel who handle a consistent flow of steel and project cargo year-round.

From a fiscal standpoint, the wind-energy model presented a volatile tax base, largely dependent on the health of a single, policy-sensitive industry. The pivot to general cargo has diversified revenue streams, bringing in more stable and predictable income from wharfage fees, warehouse leases, and rail freight operations.

In terms of local business engagement, the wind sector relied heavily on niche suppliers for turbine components—many of which had to be imported or built up from scratch. In contrast, the general-cargo model reactivates an existing regional ecosystem of trucking firms, railcar lessors, steel service centers, packaging suppliers, and third-party logistics providers like Snapl. This broader and more resilient supplier base helps anchor the terminal in an established industrial network.

Overall, the pivot has helped Paulsboro avoid the boom-and-bust cycles that often accompany megaproject-driven economies. It has reconnected the port to mature steel and break-bulk supply chains that serve critical sectors such as Mid-Atlantic construction and automotive manufacturing.

6. Lessons for Ports and 3PLs

1. Diversification is Defense: A single-industry bet—however trendy—exposes terminals to policy risk.
2. Infrastructure Flexibility Pays: Heavy-lift pads, deep water and near-dock rail can switch from wind towers to steel coils overnight.
3. Bonded Warehousing Complements Ports: 3PLs with bonded space help shippers stage duty-deferred cargo, smoothing customs flow when policy abruptly changes.

7. What’s Next for Paulsboro?

• Short term: Expect continued growth in steel, wood pulp, cocoa beans and other break-bulk commodities that thrive on PMT’s magnets-and-rail combo.
• Medium term: South Jersey Port Corporation is evaluating value-add services—coil inspection lines, transload hubs and EV-truck fleets—to lock in cargo loyalty.
• Long term: Should federal policy swing again, the site retains its heavy-fabrication pad; monopiles could return, but management now vows “general-cargo first” to avoid past over-reliance.

Looking Ahead: A Port Reinvented by Necessity

The Paulsboro Marine Terminal’s rapid pivot from a wind-energy manufacturing hub to a thriving general-cargo port is more than a tale of market adaptation—it’s a case study in resilience shaped by political and economic realities. The fallout from the Trump administration’s 2025 wind-permitting reversal could have left a deep-water facility idle and a workforce disbanded. Instead, the terminal reactivated its roots in break-bulk cargo and leveraged its strategic location, bonded status, and robust infrastructure to attract steady steel imports and project cargo.

This shift has not only stabilized local employment and diversified the tax base, but it has also strengthened supply chain relationships across the Mid-Atlantic region. By anchoring itself in established, year-round commodities rather than speculative green energy manufacturing, Paulsboro is now better positioned to weather future market swings. For shippers, 3PLs, and infrastructure planners, the message is clear: investing in flexibility, multimodal readiness, and local logistics ecosystems creates lasting value—regardless of political winds.