Georgia Ports will grow capacity by 60% to accommodate increased demand in container trade. The enhancements will bring the Port of Savannah’s annual capacity from 6 million twenty-foot equivalent container units to 9.5 million TEUs by 2025.

“Our expansion is being matched by incredible growth in both warehouse space and logistics workforce,” Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Griff 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.”

The Savannah market added 6.5 million square feet of industrial space in 2021, for a total of 84 million, according to Colliers
International. Savannah led the nation in terms of net absorption of overall inventory, so the vacancy rate remained at only 0.76%
at the end of the first quarter of calendar year 2022. Another 18 million square feet are under construction, lifting the market beyond 100 million square feet. From July through December 2021, companies invested $10 billion in new and expanding business infrastructure across the state.

“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,” said GPA Board Chairman Joel Wooten. “Higher demand for our services is the reason we have expedited major expansions at the Port of Savannah.”

GPA’s Peak Capacity Project has added 900,000 TEUs 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. Separately, the Garden City Terminal West project will add a total of 1 million TEUs of annual capacity, with the first phase coming online in 2023.

The Port of Savannah moved a record 5.6 million TEUs in Calendar Year 2021, growing volumes by nearly a million TEUs, or 20%, compared to 2020. The unprecedented level of trade crossing GPA’s docks has continued into the current year. Added capacity and adjustments to operations, including popup container yards, have restored fluidity for commerce. Now, Lynch said, GPA is building
to ensure Savannah’s ability to grow new business for decades to come. He noted the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project is now complete, deepening the river channel to allow 16,000+ TEU vessels to take on heavier loads and transit the river with greater scheduling flexibility.

Also aimed at serving larger vessels, GPA is super-sizing Berth 1 at Garden City Terminal. By the spring of 2023, the expanded berth will allow Savannah to simultaneously serve four 16,000-TEU vessels as well as three additional ships. The renovations will add an estimated 1.5 million TEUs per year of berth capacity