by Dave Williams | Mar 30, 2021 | Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA – The Georgia Ports Authority’s governing board has approved a $205 million expansion of the Port of Savannah that will increase its container capacity by 20%.
Board members signed off on the project Monday as the port was reporting a record February. The port moved 390,804 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of cargo last month, up 7.2% compared to February of last year.
“Right now, we are moving container volumes that we did not expect to see for another four years,” said Griff Lynch, the authority’s executive director. “We are expediting capacity projects that will increase the speed and fluidity of cargo handling at the Port of Savannah.”
The Peak Capacity project will add 2,100 new container slots, enough to accommodate 650,000 TEUs of annual capacity. The work will be done in two phases, with the first opening in September.
“Georgia’s container trade has experienced unprecedented growth over the past six months,” board Chairman Will McKnight said. “The 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 businesses over the long term.”
The board also approved the renovation of Berth 1 at the Port of Savannah on Monday, which will increase capacity by an estimated 1 million TEUs per year by June 2023. Altogether, the projects will bring the Garden City Terminal’s annual capacity to 6 million TEUs.
