Port-related announcements of expansions and new business accounted for nearly $5 billion in investment and 12,000 jobs across the state of Georgia in Fiscal Year 2019, a year in which the Port of Savannah moved a record 4.5 million twenty-foot equivalent container units.
In the fiscal year that ended in June, the Georgia Ports Authority achieved record volumes in containers, total tonnage and cargo moved by rail. At 4.5 million TEUs, the Port of Savannah grew its containerized trade by 7.3 percent, or 305,000 TEUs. Total tonnage reached 37.5 million, up 1.5 million tons or 4.2 percent. The port handled 507,000 intermodal boxes, up 73,000, or 17 percent compared to the previous year.
“To fulfill the growing responsibility placed on our deepwater terminals, we have developed a plan to double our capacity,” said GPA Executive Director Griff Lynch. “Our terminal infrastructure plan adheres to our investment philosophy of always keeping infrastructure ahead of current demand. This will ensure the GPA is prepared to handle the next wave of cargo expansion.”
Lynch said the influx of cargo crossing Savannah’s docks is also driving an extraordinary level of development from private investors. In FY2019, developers added 10.75 million square feet of industrial space in the Savannah market for a total of 67.7 million square feet, an increase of 19 percent.
Upcoming terminal enhancements include:
- In 2020, Garden City Terminal will receive six additional ship-to-shore cranes, bringing its fleet to 36, more than any other terminal in North America. Lynch said GPA plans continual upgrades to its crane fleet, which will include 12 new cranes with a lift height of 170 feet by 2027.
- Within three years, the GPA plans a berth realignment to allow docking for more 14,000-TEU vessels on the downriver end of Garden City Terminal. By 2027, the additional cranes, revamped dock space and a new Hutchinson Island terminal will allow the Port of Savannah to significantly increase big ship capacity.
- Additionally, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is now in the final phase of the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project. The Corps is expected to issue contracts this year to dredge the inner harbor, which makes up the final half of the deepening.
The GPA is also expanding its rail infrastructure and offerings. Lynch introduced dual rail service from the Port of Savannah to Chicago, with cargo reaching the Windy City in less than three days.
Lynch says: “We’re now moving containers from ship to departing rail in only 24 hours – two and a half times faster than our previous schedule – which makes Savannah competitive on time and lower on cost compared to traditional cargo routings.”
Construction on Phase I of GPA’s Mason Mega Rail Terminal will be complete in the spring, opening March 2020. When Phase II opens in late 2020, the project will double the Port of Savannah’s rail lift capacity to 1 million containers per year.
For more information: 
Robert Morris
Georgia Ports Authority
Tel: +1 (912) 964-3855
Email: rmorris@gaports.com
www.gaports.com