Port of Savannah gets major infrastructure investment

By Michael McGrady, Maritime Direct Americas & Pacific Correspondent

SAVANNAH, Ga. — The Georgia Ports Authority Board approved a capital improvement project that wants to increase container capacity by 20 percent at the Port of Savannah, in the US state of Georgia.

The board approved the Peak Capacity project, which will establish 2,100 new grounded container slots. This particular project will add 650,000 TEU container units of annual container yard capacity over two phases. The first phase opens in September.

“Right now, we are moving container volumes that we did not expect to see for another four years,” said Griff Lynch, executive director for the authority. “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.”

According to the Georgia Ports Authority, the Port of Savannah had a record February.

The port moved over 390,804 TEUs of cargo, which is an increase of 7.2 percent. This is 26,400 TEUs more compared to the February of 2020. GPA, overall, handled 2.64 million TEUs across its ports between September and February.

That’s an increase of nearly 375,000 or 16.5 percent compared to the same six-month period year-over-year.

“In terms of cargo volumes, we’ve added the equivalent of an extra month of trade since September,” Lynch said.

“Georgia’s container trade has experienced unprecedented growth over the past six months,” adds GPA Board Chairman Will McKnight.

“This addition is among several that will address the needs of port users experiencing a sharp increase in demand while also preparing Savannah to take on additional business over the long term.”