The Port of Savannah is the fastest-growing port on the U.S. East Coast, according to the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA), and the agency announced further investments to boost capacity and connectivity at the port.

During the recent Savannah State of the Port event, Griff Lynch, president, and CEO of GPA Georgia Ports, laid out plans to increase capacity in Savannah, add berth space in the short and long term, boost container yard and rail capacity, and expand the truck gates at the Port of Savannah.

The expansion is needed to handle the growing business.

GPA handled nearly 5.6 million twenty-foot equivalent container units (TEUs) last year – an increase of approximately 618,000 TEUs compared to 2023.

"That made Savannah the fastest-growing container gateway on the U.S. East and Gulf coasts," the GPA statement said.

Lynch sees this pattern "continuing to accelerate."

"Growth at the nation's gateway terminals outpaced all other ports in the nation, and Savannah is clearly the gateway port for the U.S. Southeast," he said.

"Even in a challenging year, we still found a way to grow by 12.5%, and I think one conclusion we can draw here is that connectivity is key," Lynch added, noting Savannah is one of the best globally connected ports in the U.S.

"It's been an incredible year, considering the headwinds of the difficulties surrounding the Suez Canal and the extended labor contract negotiations. Our congratulations go to the International Longshoremen's Association and the U.S. Maritime Alliance for developing a six-year agreement with winners on both sides."

To stay ahead of demand, Lynch announced the opening of a new lay berth effective immediately at Ocean Terminal.

"While we're renovating Ocean Terminal, we're going to use the berth space there as a staging area for big ships," the GPA chief said, adding that this will "drastically reduce" the transition time between large vessels departing and arriving, allowing the port to work two more big ships per week and add up to 1 million TEUs of extra capacity per year.

A second lay berth at Ocean Terminal will come online in 2026.

The GPA said the use of the staging area will decrease the time a berth is open and unused at Garden City Terminal from the current 12 hours down to 3 hours, for a 75% improvement in berth idle time.

Meanwhile, Phase I of the Ocean Terminal yard renovation will be completed in mid-2027, and the second phase will be by mid-2028. This will increase capacity by up to 1.5 million TEUs per year.

Longer-term plans call for the Savannah Container Terminal on Hutchinson Island to open in Phase I by 2030, ultimately adding three additional big ship berths and 3.5 million TEUs of annual capacity in phases based on demand. The facility is currently in the permitting phase.

"These improvements are necessary to stay ahead of growing demand and to continue providing the world-class service our customers have come to expect at Georgia Ports," Lynch said.

"With US$4 billion in investments planned for Ocean Terminal and Savannah Container Terminal, Savannah will be a 12.5 million-TEU capacity port by 2035," he added.

Intermodal rail sets record

GPA also noted record volumes on intermodal rail.

It said that Mason Mega Rail Terminal achieved record volumes in 2024, moving 540,850 containers by train, up 29,000 containers compared to 2023, or 5.7%. The on-port facility provides dual access to Norfolk Southern and CSX railroads.

The Appalachian Regional Port also helped boost GPA's performance, with an annual high of 37,840 rail lifts at the Northwest Georgia inland port, up 8.3% over 2023.

"Savannah continued to lead the nation's major ports in speed to rail in 2024, with containers connecting from vessel to departing train in just one day," Lynch said.

"When port users choose Savannah, their cargo reaches inland markets with greater speed and the kind of reliability customers can plan around. For rail cargo, we average 19 to 24 hours from vessel discharge to rail departure."

He noted that for port customers, cargo velocity equals reduced inventory costs.

Meanwhile, the Blue Ridge Connector is slated to open in 2026. Lynch said containers moving between the Blue Ridge Connector and the Port of Savannah by rail will avoid a 600-mile roundtrip by truck.

The 104-acre facility will have a full capacity of 200,000 containers each year, which would avoid 120 million truck miles annually.

GPA anticipates investing US$4.2 billion in the next ten years as part of its port master plan to expand cargo handling capabilities to support future supply chain requirements.