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Port of Savannah Will Boost Annual Container Capacity by 60%
February 27,
2022 by HFBusiness Staff in Business Strategy, Industry 
Container capacity at the Port of Savannah, Ga., will be expanded by 60 percent during the next three years, thanks to a series of construction projects that will boost annual capacity to 9.5 million twenty-foot equivalent units.
Griff Lynch, executive director of the Georgia Ports Authority, said the first series of projects will add 1.7 million TEUs of annual capacity within four months. In addition, three additional container yards have been completed or are under construction, and an expansion of the Garden City Terminal West will add up to 1 million TEUs in phases by 2024.
“Our expansion is being matched by incredible growth in both warehouse space and workforce,” Lynch said. “The public and private investment that we’re seeing, as well as the number of people being drawn to the business, make Savannah the hottest market in the country for transportation and logistics.”
Lynch said Savannah has become a national leader in supply chain solutions and effectively eliminated its backlog, while accommodating 18 consecutive months of growth. In 2021 alone, the GPA moved a record 5.6 million TEUs, for an unprecedented expansion of nearly a million TEUs, or 20 percent, compared to 2020.
“Higher demand for our services is the reason we have expedited major expansions at the Port of Savannah,” added GPA Board Chairman Joel Wooten. “Georgia’s growing manufacturing, distribution and retail sectors will mean additional cargo through the Port of Savannah, driving the need for increased container handling capacity.”
In addition, Lynch said the Savannah Harbor expansion project, which is deepening the channel to allow larger container ships to navigate the river, will come online in March. It will allow vessels with capacities of 16,000 containers or more to use the river with greater scheduling flexibility.