South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) announced a record container volume of nearly two million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) handled in 2016.

SCPA handled 1.996 million TEUs in 2016, surpassing the previous record of 1.985 million TEUs handled in 2005. Container volume in TEU was up 1.2 percent compared to last year. Loaded TEU volume was up four percent year-over-year while empty container volume was down 10 percent.

“This is a significant accomplishment for the SCPA of which we are very proud,” said Jim Newsome, SCPA president and CEO. “We are cautiously optimistic about the future given the significant automotive projects that exist in the Southeast along with the seeming recovery of emerging market economies, which drives U.S. exports. Our focus is squarely on realizing ongoing enhancements to handle the significant deployment of big container ships, specifically refurbishing our wharves, raising our cranes, deepening our harbor as soon as possible, and expanding our successful inland port network with a second inland port facility in Dillon, South Carolina.”

The South Carolina Inland Port Greer handled a record 103,639 rail lifts in 2016, an increase of 38 percent over the previous calendar year.

Inland Port Greer involves the convergence of four modes of transportation at one site: the port, rail, truck, and the nearby GSP International Airport. It operates 24/7 and its located within 500 miles of 100 million consumers in the eastern U.S.

In September 2016, the SCPA board approved a plan to develop a second inland port in Dillon, South Carolina, in the Carolinas I-95 Mega Site. Located in the Pee Dee region of South Carolina, the site was selected for its proximity to I-95 as well as a significant base of existing port users in the area that represent base cargo opportunities for the facility.

SCPA will break ground on the new terminal in the first quarter of this year and plans to open the facility by the end of the year.