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Port Authority wants SC deepening too
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Russ num
Associated Press Writer
Published: Jan 25, 2011, 2:47 PM

SAVANNAH — Georgia port officials pledged Monday to support a deeper shipping channel for rival seaport Charleston, S.C., while they also seek federal permission and funding to dredge the waterway to the Port of Savannah.

A resolution adopted by the Georgia Ports Authority's board says the neighboring states — and longtime competitors — have a mutal interest that "both the Savannah and Charleston harbor channels be deepened in order to accommodate the new generation of container ships."

Both are among East Coast port cities racing to dig deeper waterways in anticipation of massive cargo ships using an expanded Panama Canal after 2014.

Savannah wants $588 million to scoop 6 feet of mud and silt from its shipping channel, but officials are awaiting final approval from the federal government by the end of the year.

Charleston is seeking a federal study to determine if it can dredge to 50 feet, a project expected to cost $300 million but likely several years behind Savannah.

"We thought it was important to make it clear our support is not just for a deeper Savannah River," said Curtis Foltz, executive director of Georgia's ports. "Some of our customers that use our port also use the port in Charleston. For us, it's not about one or the other."

The Georgia resolution comes after South Carolina's port chief, along with Charleston Mayor Joe Riley, visited Washington last week to pitch dredging Charleston's harbor as cheaper and less environmentally damaging than deepening other Southern ports.

"We said we are the best value in deepening in the South Atlantic," Jim Newsome, CEO of the South Carolina State Ports Authority, told reporters in Charleston after returning from the trip Friday night.

South Carolina ports spokesman Byron Miller said Monday his state is too busy trying to win deeper water for Charleston to worry about Savannah's project. He also said Georgia port officials didn't invite their South Carolina counterparts to join their resolution pledging cooperation.

Located about 100 miles apart on the Atlantic coast, Savannah and Charleston have long been competitors in overseas trade. Charleston had the nation's fourth-busiest port until 2007, when Savannah's port took its place.

When it comes to deepening their harbors, Savannah has one disadvantage — its Savannah River shipping channel is a shared border between Georgia and South Carolina. That means South Carolina gets some say in whether Savannah's project gets approved.

The Georgia resolution calling for cooperation between the ports wasn't completely one-sided. The Lowcountry Economic Alliance, an economic development group for Jasper and Beaufort counties in South Carolina, also signed onto the document.

In addition to being directly across the river from Savannah, the two communities have a stake in developing Jasper County land co-owned by both states into a third port. Georgia and South Carolina began studying the proposal years ago, and the resolution adopted Monday promises to keep supporting it.

"Our competitors are overseas, not across the river," said Kim Statler, a board member of the South Carolina alliance. "This resolution outlines a common understanding that the Savannah River is a critical component of that regional success."

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GPA grows trade, market share
Intermodal volume up 20 percent
port photo
Rubber tired gantry cranes handle cargo at the Chatham Intermodal Container Transfer Facility at the Port of Savannah. The Georgia Ports Authority's Mason Mega Rail project will double rail lift capacity to 1 million containers per year by 2020 - photo by Provided
Staff Report
Updated: Apr 17, 2018, 1:07 PM
Published: Apr 17, 2018, 1:08 PM

The Georgia Ports Authority achieved 14 percent growth in March container volumes, moving 355,208 20-foot equivalent unit (TEU) containers.

From July 2017 to March, TEU container trade grew by 9 percent, or 255,786 additional units for a total of 3.08 million, a new record for Savannah.

"Savannah's continued strength is a reflection of our customers' commitment, Georgia's leadership, and the many dedicated service providers, GPA employees and ILA members who come together every day to achieve great things," said GPA Executive Director Griff Lynch. "March marked our 17th consecutive month of business expansion thanks, in part, to a strong economy and growing market share."

Intermodal rail volumes jumped by 20 percent in March and 15.4 percent for the fiscal year to date, for a total of 318,454 containers handled over nine months – another record for the GPA.

"As the numbers show, our rail cargo is growing at a faster pace than our overall trade," GPA Chairman Jimmy Allgood said. "This is important because rail is playing a key role in our responsible growth strategy. We anticipate our rail infrastructure investments to take 250,000 trucks off the road each year by 2020."

The GPA recently broke ground on its Mason Mega Rail Terminal, on which the Port of Savannah will build 10,000-foot unit trains within its own footprint. From the expanded rail infrastructure at Garden City Terminal, Class I rail providers CSX and Norfolk Southern will provide direct rail service to major Southeast and Midwestern markets from Memphis to St. Louis, Chicago to Cincinnati.

An added benefit is that the Mason Mega Rail project will move all rail switching on terminal – improving vehicle traffic flow around the port.

In August, the GPA will open its Appalachian Regional Port in Murray County. Located in an industrial belt, including the production and export of carpet and flooring, automobiles and tires, the ARP will provide an alternative to all-truck transit to Northwest Georgia.

Each round-trip container moved via the Appalachian Regional Port will offset 710 truck miles on Georgia highways.

March was also a strong month for roll-on/roll-off auto and machinery units at the Port of Brunswick and Ocean Terminal in Savannah. Colonel's Island Terminal in Brunswick handled 66,144 cars, trucks and tractors, while Ocean Terminal added 4,050, for a total 70,194, a 17.2 percent increase.

"The global economy is thriving and our volumes are following suit," Lynch said. "As existing accounts grow their footprint in the expanding auto facility in Brunswick, Georgia's competitive logistical advantages are drawing additional business across all of our docks."

Lynch noted that for the fiscal year to date, Mayor's Point breakbulk terminal in Brunswick grew by 44 percent (34,515 tons) to reach 112,728 tons of forest products. At East River Terminal, bulk cargo expanded by 34 percent July-March (189,918 tons) for a total of 750,384 tons.

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