The Georgia Ports Authority has taken a significant step towards constructing a $2.3 billion container terminal in Savannah by obtaining federal approval. This permit has been issued after a three-year review by the U.S. Army and allows the ports authority to increase the port's annual capacity to 12 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs).
Container Terminal Project Details
The new terminal will be built on a 350-acre site on Hutchinson Island and will add 3.5 million TEUs to the port's annual capacity. This terminal will be capable of accommodating the largest container ships. Construction is set to begin in January 2028, with completion expected by the mid-2030s.
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Development and Investment Plans
The container terminal project is part of a nearly $5 billion infrastructure investment plan by the Georgia Ports Authority over the next decade. This plan includes the creation of five additional large anchorage sites in Savannah and an increase in roll-on/roll-off capacity at the Brunswick port. Additionally, a $1.6 billion project at the Savannah Ocean Terminal is underway, which will increase annual capacity from 200,000 TEUs to 1.75 million TEUs and is expected to be completed by the end of 2028.
The Georgia Ports Authority currently has an annual container handling capacity of 7.75 million TEUs. Given the high volume of container traffic, this development is seen as a necessity to meet the growing market demand. Last September, the Savannah port recorded a record 504,015 TEUs, representing a 3.7 percent increase compared to the previous year.
This development also coincides with a leadership change at the Georgia Ports Authority. Current CEO Griff Lynch, who has served in senior leadership roles since 2011, is set to retire on August 1, 2027, and Kevin Price will be appointed as his successor.
During his tenure, Lynch has increased the volume of containers handled by the Georgia Ports Authority by 90 percent and revenues by 213 percent. He stated, "We never stop growing" and referred to the $5 billion investment in port infrastructure as the largest investment in the country.
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