Georgia Ports Authority approves $2.3 billion Savannah terminal

The Georgia Ports Authority has approved a $2.3 billion container terminal project on a 395-acre site that will add 3.5 million TEUs to Savannah's capacity, bringing total capacity to over 12 million TEUs. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers approved the Savannah Container Terminal permit after a three-year review, clearing the way for construction to begin in January 2028.

Timeline and construction details

Construction is set to begin in January 2028 and will take several years to complete, with the terminal featuring three ship berths on a 350-acre site on Hutchinson Island. The terminal will be Savannah's third container facility. Work is scheduled for completion in the mid-2030s.

Port capacity context

Savannah currently handles 7.75 million TEUs annually and has seen record traffic with 504,015 TEUs in September, up 3.7% from the prior year. Container traffic for the first quarter of the fiscal year exceeded 1.5 million TEUs. The new terminal will increase Savannah's annual container capacity from 7.75 million TEUs to more than 12 million TEUs upon completion.

Broader infrastructure investment

The terminal is part of Georgia Ports' $5 billion infrastructure investment plan over the next decade, which includes additional berths and expanded roll-on/roll-off capacity. The plan encompasses five additional large containership berths in Savannah and expanded roll-on/roll-off capacity at the Port of Brunswick.

A separate $1.6 billion redevelopment of Savannah’s Ocean Terminal will increase its capacity from 200,000 to 1.75 million TEUs annually. That project was more than 60% complete in late September and is expected to finish by the end of 2028.

CEO Griff Lynch, who has served since 2011, will retire on August 1, 2027, with current president Kevin Price succeeding him. Under Lynch’s leadership, container volumes increased 90%, roll-on/roll-off volumes rose 60%, and revenues climbed 213%. Price announced the terminal approval at the GPA's annual State of the Port of Savannah luncheon.

Board Chairman Alec Poitevint emphasized the long-term strategy, stating, "We play the long game here." The project is part of a sustained effort to expand Savannah's capacity for future container trade growth. The terminal's completion in the mid-2030s will mark the largest infrastructure investment in the nation for the port, raising its capacity from 7.75 million to over 12 million TEUs.