THE Georgia Ports Authority is to spend US$430 million to expand capacity of its berths and container yards the Port of Savannah, reports the Construction EquipmentGuide.com
Of that total, GPA is covering $395.4 million, funded through the authority's proceeds. The federal government is chipping in an additional $34.6 million grant, the Centre Square reported May 19.
The news comes as the port announced it had handled 495,782 TEU in April, a port record for the month when GPA's containerised trade increased 6.2 per cent. It also represented GPA's third busiest month ever.
The growth is related in part to retailers replenishing depleted inventories and making early orders to ensure product availability, GPA noted. For the fiscal year to date, GPA has handled 4.75 million TEU, an improvement of eight per cent or 344,260 TEU year on year.
The authority recently said that its Garden City Terminal now handles almost one out of every nine loaded containers crossing docks nationwide.
"The phenomenal growth we have achieved has been made possible by the team effort of GPA and Gateway Terminals employees, the International Longshoremen's Association, and our partners in trucking and rail," said GPA executive director Griff Lynch.
The renovations to Container Berth 1 (CB-1) at the Garden City Terminal are more than 40 per cent complete. The realigned CB-1 will increase annual berth capacity by 1.4 million TEU and provide an additional big ship berth served by new ship-to-shore cranes. Substantial completion is expected in June 2023.
The authority expects to bring online nine new electric rubber-tyre gantry (RTG) cranes by the spring of 2023. This will bring the Port of Savannah's total RTG fleet to 207.
The Peak Capacity Project has added 900,000 TEU of annual container yard capacity to Garden City Terminal as of April 13. Another 300,000 TEUs of capacity are expected to come online by July.
Phase I of the Garden City Terminal West project will add a 25-acre chassis yard next to Georgia Highway 21. Grading and placement of aggregate base are ongoing, with the contractor having turned more than 10 acres for use in February. Construction should be complete by mid-summer.
Phase II of the Garden City Terminal West project will add a total of one million TEU of annual capacity, with the first phase coming online in 2023.
Down the Georgia coast at GPA's Port of Brunswick, the Mayor's Point Terminal will get a replacement of a 50,000-square foot cargo shed with a new, 100,00-square foot warehouse with modern life safety improvements and flooring upgrades to handle heavy cargo.
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