Expect to see more containers come through the Port of Savannah.
The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) board approved projects that could bump up annual container capacity at the Port of Savannah by 20%.
The port handled 4.7 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in 2020. Increasing capacity by 20% would put Savannah’s annual capacity at over 6 million TEUs.
click here.Approving these capital projects comes at a time when Georgia’s container trade “has experienced unprecedented growth over the past six months,” according to the board. The categories seeing containerized cargo growth include machinery, appliances and electronics; hardware and houseware; food; furniture; apparel; and textiles.
Not only will the projects help the port manage the sharp increase in demand being experienced now but will equip Savannah to take on additional business in the long term, the board said.
“Right now we are moving container volumes that we did not expect to see for another four years,” said GPA Executive Director Griff Lynch. “Our employees are working very hard to ensure we continue to provide our customers with world-class service. Additionally, we are expediting capacity projects that will increase the speed and fluidity of cargo handling at the Port of Savannah.”
The approved initiatives include a peak capacity project with terminal enhancement to establish 2,100 new grounded container slots and add 650,000 TEUs of annual container yard capacity in two phases. The first phase will open in September.
Another project is a renovation of Berth 1, which will increase its capacity by an estimated 1 million TEUs per year by June 2023. By the end of this project, the Garden City Terminal will have 6 million TEUs in annual berth capacity…
