Maryland is procuring 800 MW of transmission-connected battery storage under the Next Generation Energy Act of 2025. The first round, awarded in October 2026, selected a 400 MW project at Chalk Point in Prince George’s County and a 40 MW project, and left 360 MW still to procure. BGE has proposed its own utility-owned storage. Every one of those projects takes delivery of containerized lithium-ion units that weigh tens of tons, carry a Class 9 hazmat placard and cannot enter either Baltimore harbor tunnel. The developer’s fear is a container sitting at the terminal while a carrier without the right permits turns the load down. Baltimore 3PL books the right carrier and the legal route before the ship arrives.
How this cargo moves through the Port of Baltimore
Containerized BESS units and packaged cells arrive at Seagirt Marine Terminal, the port’s container terminal, which has 50-foot berths, 12 ship-to-shore cranes and on-dock CSX rail. Oversize enclosures, transformers and switchgear that travel with a storage project arrive as breakbulk at Dundalk Marine Terminal, the ro-ro and breakbulk terminal with 300-long-ton and 550-short-ton mobile heavy-lift cranes.
Lithium-ion battery energy storage ships as UN3536 when containerized and UN3480 as cells or packs. Both are Class 9. From the terminal gate, a Class 9 load has one legal cross-harbor route: the west side of the I-695 loop. The Francis Scott Key Bridge, which carried I-695 across the Patapsco River, collapsed on March 26, 2024, and the replacement is not expected to open before late 2030. The I-95 Fort McHenry Tunnel and the I-895 Harbor Tunnel are closed to hazmat. The loop adds about 30 to 35 miles and 45 to 60 minutes to a move that once took the bridge.
Projects on the east side, in Harford County near the Conastone substation or at Sparrows Point, never needed the bridge. Projects south and west, toward Anne Arundel, Prince George’s or Northern Virginia, take the full loop. Our Key Bridge truck routing guide explains the limits.
What we set up for battery and energy storage shippers
- Hazmat carrier placement. We place Class 9 freight only with carrier partners whose permits and registrations fit the cargo. See hazmat logistics.
- Routing and permits. The I-695 loop, oversize permits for wide enclosures and escorts where required, planned and priced in the quote.
- Terminal drayage. Container pickup at Seagirt and breakbulk pickup at Dundalk through our drayage desk, with the hazmat placard and paperwork checked before dispatch.
- Staging. Partner yards and warehouses that accept Class 9 storage hold units until the substation or site is ready.
- Heavy haul to site. Multi-axle carrier partners and riggers deliver enclosures and transformers through our project cargo desk.
- Documentation. Shipping papers, placards and emergency response information reviewed with the carrier partner, with daily status by email to the project team.
What the partner network brings
You get one accountable desk. The desk gets the right partner for the lane. Baltimore 3PL is a service-area logistics company and does not own a truck, a yard or a warehouse in Baltimore. Every battery move runs through a partner network we have curated for 50 years: hazmat carriers, breakbulk stevedores, riggers, warehouse operators, forwarders and licensed customs brokers. We hold no hazmat carrier registration ourselves and do not claim one. Our partners hold the registrations a program needs, and we place freight only with partners whose permits fit the cargo. Customs clearance for imported units is coordinated through our licensed customs broker partners. Call (419) 745-9492 or email operations@sams3pl.com, Monday to Friday, 07:00 to 18:00 Eastern.
Where the Maryland storage work is
Maryland’s installed storage base is small. As of mid-2026 the state had five utility-scale battery projects operating at about 12 MW in total, and many proposed projects have stalled on permitting and grid connection. That is changing. The Next Generation Energy Act sets an 800 MW target for transmission-connected storage. The Public Service Commission received five Round 1 applications in March 2026, including a 500 MW, six-hour project in Harford County next to the BGE Conastone substation. Round 1 awards in October 2026 went to a 400 MW Chalk Point project and a 40 MW project, with two other bidders withdrawing, so the round came up 360 MW short of the target. BGE has proposed a 29 MW utility-owned phase, with a 58 MW phase due in November 2026.
Capacity prices in the PJM BGE zone reached $466.35 per MW-day for 2025 and 2026, which keeps developer interest high even when sites move slowly. For a logistics plan, that means two things. First, project timing will slip, so staging capacity near the port matters more than speed off the terminal. Second, the same Class 9 rules apply to data center UPS batteries heading to Frederick and Loudoun, which we cover on our data center logistics page. Battery cabinets for data halls are usually the first hazmat a data center build encounters, and they travel the same loop.
What to send for a quote
- Unit count and type: containerized BESS (UN3536) or cells and packs (UN3480)
- Dimensions, gross weight and state of charge for each unit
- Arrival vessel and terminal, or domestic origin
- Site address and the expected ready date for delivery
- Expected staging time between arrival and delivery
- Transformers, switchgear or enclosures moving with the batteries
- Any site rigging or crane requirement
Send it to operations@sams3pl.com or use the quote form. You get a reply within one business day.
Questions shippers ask
01What UN numbers apply to battery energy storage cargo?
Containerized lithium-ion battery energy storage units ship as UN3536. Loose lithium-ion cells and packs ship as UN3480. Both are Class 9 hazmat and need a carrier whose permits fit the cargo.
02Can a BESS container use the I-95 or I-895 tunnel in Baltimore?
No. Hazmat may not use the Fort McHenry or Harbor tunnels. Until the Key Bridge reopens, expected late 2030, these loads loop the west side of I-695, about 30 to 35 extra miles.
03Are you a PHMSA-registered hazmat carrier?
No. We do not operate trucks. We place Class 9 freight only with hazmat carrier partners whose registrations and permits fit the cargo, and we plan the route and the paperwork with them.
04Can you stage battery containers before the site is ready?
Yes, at partner yards and warehouses that accept Class 9 storage. Tell us the expected dwell and we will match the partner to it.
05Do you handle data center UPS batteries as well as grid-scale BESS?
Yes. The same rules apply to UPS battery cabinets going to Frederick or Loudoun. See our data center logistics page for the full corridor service.