The Port of Savannah saw its third busiest month in Georgia Ports Authority history in August, handling 534,037 container units.
That number of 20-foot equivalent container units, or TEUs, represented a 44,000 TEUs increase – 9 percent – over August 2024.
Also, earlier in September, Georgia Ports officially started a new fast-track routing process for container vessels entering the Port of Savannah inbound to Garden City Terminal.
The just-implemented system has inbound vessels temporarily dock at Georgia Ports’ Ocean Terminal “lay berth” until a berth at Garden City Terminal opens. The first vessel to experience the process saved 12-15 hours.
“The lay berth, combined with our eight start times for ship labor, creates exciting new possibilities for ships to stay on schedule or make up time. This is a gamechanger for GPA and our customers,” said Georgia Ports President and CEO Griff Lynch.
Lynch said the key goal is a reduction in berth idle time from 12-15 hours down to three hours, which translates into better supply chain velocity and competitiveness.
“Our mission is to make it easy to do business,” he said. “We’re really focusing on high productivity at the berth, the container yard, the truck gates and the rail – and the numbers show it.”
Georgia Ports economic impact up 7% in 2024
“Georgia has been recognized as the No. 1 state for business for over a decade in part because we're also the best state for reliable infrastructure,” said Gov. Brian Kemp. “As powerful economic drivers, the Ports of Savannah and Brunswick are a key part of the pro-job creator environment we’ve fostered to ensure every part of our state can thrive.”
Port activity in Georgia now supports nearly 651,000 full- and part-time jobs across the state, according to an economic impact study by the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business. The statewide number has grown by 41,770 jobs or 7 percent compared to fiscal year 2023, the period covered by the previous study.
Georgia Ports now help sustain 12 percent of total state employment, according to the study.
Ocean Terminal progress report
The Georgia Port Authority’s Board approved approximately $614 million in infrastructure improvements for Ocean Terminal civil works in the container yard, terminal and maintenance and operations building.
“Our port master plan is designed to deliver the capacity our customers need to grow their business in Georgia,” said GPA Board Chairman Alec Poitevint. “As part of that overall plan, Ocean Terminal will play an important role in growing our capabilities and providing the most competitive port operations in the nation.”
The first half of the Ocean Terminal container yard renovation will be completed in 2027 and the second half in 2028. The $1.54 billion overall project will allow the 200-acre facility to serve two large container ships simultaneously.
In addition to the yard improvements, the terminal’s two berths are being renovated to serve larger vessels. The project also includes expanded truck gates, and a new exit ramp for trucks. Georgia Ports funded the $29 million overpass to carry departing truck traffic directly onto U.S. 17/Interstate 16, avoiding neighborhood streets.
Over the next 10 years, GPA plans to invest $4.5 billion in infrastructure. In addition to the two renovated berths at Ocean Terminal, Georgia Ports will add three new big ship berths at the planned Savannah Container Terminal on Hutchinson Island, just across the Savannah River.
By the mid-2030s, Savannah Container Terminal will add more than 3.5 million TEUs of annual capacity at the Port of Savannah.
Also in September, the Georgia Ports Authority celebrated National Truck Driver Appreciation Week. Drivers arriving at Georgia Ports terminals received safety vests and breakfast sandwiches. The Port of Savannah averages more than 14,000 truck moves per day.