International Maritime

Maher’ s next buyer faces billions in upgrades, decisions on capacity

By Michael Angell

The largest container terminal in the Port of NY-NJ, Maher( pictured) could fetch $ 3 billion. ambient _ pix / Shutterstock. com capable of handling super-post-Panamax ships, faces an estimated $ 2 billion in such repairs.

The new lease also requires Maher to add“ demandinduced” capacity as part of the port’ s plan to double its overall capacity by 2050, Port Director Beth Rooney said after the lease was signed in December. Maher, which can currently handle just over 3 million TEUs, could double its capacity through densification, she said.

Densification, though, will require the buyer to rethink signature features of the terminal that have made it preferred among ocean carriers, shippers and motor carriers. The densification process could cost another $ 1 billion.

Maher currently uses a fleet of over 200 straddle carriers to sort containers and bring them to trucks waiting at a parking spot, which shippers say the facility bills as a“ concierge service.” Maher has won multiple awards from local motor carriers and ocean carriers for its service levels.

Densifying the facility would mean gradually rolling out a smaller fleet of gantry cranes, either on rubber tires or rail mounted, for handling higher and wider container stacks. The process would require that yard space within Maher be closed on a rotating basis while the underlying concrete is reinforced and container stacks are remade for the larger machines.

The potential sale of Maher Terminal at the Port of New York and New Jersey will require a buyer to navigate stricter lease terms, billions in new costs, and decisions on how to grow capacity and service its customers, all portending further changes in container handling at the port. A source told the Journal of Commerce that marine terminal operators including DP World, PSA International, SSA Marine and Terminal Investment Limited have inquired about a potential acquisition of Maher from private equity firm Macquarie Infrastructure Partners.

Maher, the largest container terminal in New York-New Jersey, could fetch $ 3 billion, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal. The sale of Maher, which could be announced later this year, comes after the Macquarie fund that owns Maher negotiated a new 33-year lease with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey( PANYNJ) that starts in 2030.

The potential buyers have also contacted PANYNJ, the source said, because the agency would have to sign off on any deal. The new lease means Maher’ s buyer faces a variable monthly rent that is based solely on container volume, the source said, rather than the previous lease’ s largely fixed-cost base rent.

In addition, the new operator will have to share with the port authority a greater portion of its“ excess revenue,” which generally comes from the demurrage it charges on containers. Outside of the direct rental costs, Maher’ s buyer could face at least $ 3 billion in capital and maintenance costs under the new lease, the source said.

Capacity upgrades

A big chunk of that will be the cost of berth maintenance and repairs that PANYNJ has begun shifting over to tenants under the new leases. Maher, with four berths

A new lease requires Maher to add“ demand-induced” capacity as the port looks to double overall capacity by 2050.

It’ s not clear how the switch to gantry crane operations will affect service times for trucks, although it would likely mean fewer loading spaces. An equipment change at the terminal will also trigger a clause in the contract with the International Longshoremen’ s Association( ILA) that requires negotiations over implementing new technology.

Along with larger yard equipment, a new buyer for Maher will face decisions on how it optimizes space. Maher has a massive truck gate with some 30 inbound lanes and 20 outbound lanes.

The large gate complex allows Maher to handle trucks without requiring appointments, a free-flow operation that allows truckers to quickly enter the facility. But the gate complex also occupies about a quarter of its land, making it a potential target for reclamation to container yard space. A smaller gate, though, might require Maher to rethink the free-flow model.

Maher will also have to share more of its daily operational data under the new lease terms, which require the terminal to provide data about key metrics and other measures. The data sharing will“ enable the port authority and its terminal operators to better collaborate on port efficiency initiatives,” the agency said in a statement to the Journal of Commerce.

email: michael. angell @ spglobal. com

38 Journal of Commerce | March 2, 2026 www. joc. com