GPA Handles Nearly 6 Million TEUs in 2022
Written by Carolina Worrell, Senior Editor, Railway Age
Big ship berth terminal in the works. (Photo Courtesy of the Georgia Ports Authority)
The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) announced Jan. 17 that it handled a record 5.9 million TEUs in Calendar Year (CY) 2022, an increase of 5% over 2021.
According to GPA, the Port of Savannah achieved four of its top five months for container volume in CY2022, with trade volumes peaking in August at an all-time high of 575,500 TEUs.
With the renovation of Berth 1 at Garden City Terminal to handle more than 16,000 TEU vessels, the 90-acre Garden City Terminal West expansion and the transition of Ocean Terminal to an all-container facility, the Port of Savannah is “set to increase annual capacity from six million to 7.5 million TEUs in 2023, and to nine million by 2025, GPA said. Learn more about GPA’s growth plans here.
In addition to record container cargo in 2022, GPA reported achieving a 16% increase in breakbulk tonnage to nearly 3.3 million tons last year, an improvement of 443,000 tons compared to 2021. In Roll-on/Roll-off cargo, Colonel’s Island Terminal in Brunswick handled 651,101 units of autos and heavy machinery. Ocean Terminal in Savannah moved another 19,630 Ro/Ro units, for a total of 670,731, an increase of 0.4%.
Total tonnage crossing all GPA docks reached 42.4 million tons last year, an increase of about 2% or nearly 760,000 tons.
“It was a challenging year, but collaborative effort across Georgia’s supply chain ensured cargo movement remained fluid,” said GPA Executive Director Griff Lynch. “I want to thank our Board for approving new infrastructure that allowed us to handle more cargo. Our gratitude also goes out to GPA employees and our partners at Gateway International, the International Longshoremen’s Association, trucking and rail. Their long hours and dedication were key to our success.”
“We’re excited about the possibilities ahead, with major infrastructure projects delivering greater capacity and efficiency for our customers,” added GPA Board Chairman Joel Wooten. “At Georgia Ports, we’re bringing to market faster vessel service, quicker turn times for trucks and more room to grow business.”
