- New Container Berth comes on-line and brings additional capacity
Doug J. Marchand, executive director of the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA), announced at a meeting of its board of directors today the Port of Savannah handled 173,415 Twenty Foot Equivalent Unit containers (TEUs) in the month of April 2006, a 12.7 increase over the same period last year. During the first ten months of fiscal year 2006, the GPA handled 1,688,719 TEU’s, a 15.4 percent increase over the same period last year.

“Just last month Governor Sonny Perdue was on hand to help the GPA open the initial phase of Container Berth 8,” said Senator Mack Mattingly, Chairman of the GPA Board of Directors. “This impressive growth shows Georgia’s investment was well made.”

“We continue to handle double-digit container growth without delays at our gates. None of this would be possible without our partners in the maritime industry and our highly trained and dedicated employees,” said Marchand. “The additional 1,100 feet of dock dedicated by Governor Perdue is already in use and we anticipate an additional 1,000 feet of dock to come on-line this July. Thirty additional acres of paved container handling and storage space will be available in the first quarter of calendar year 2007.”

April results also show that a total of 1,735,191 tons of cargo was handled during the month, a 9.7 percent increase compared with the same period last year and the second highest tonnage ever handled through Georgia’s ports in a single month. During the month of March 2006, the GPA reported the highest tonnage ever handled at just over 1.8 million tons.

To stay ahead of the tremendous growth curve the GPA is experiencing, the Port of Savannah has also brought on-line eight additional Rubber-Tire Gantry cranes (RTGs) and seven empty container handler toplifts. The components for two additional RTGs have been received and are in the process of being assembled. Two additional toplifts will be placed into operation later this month.

Georgia’s deepwater ports and inland barge terminals support more than 275,968 jobs throughout the state annually and contribute $10.8 billion in income, $35.4 billion in revenue and some $1.4 billion in state and local taxes to Georgia’s bustling economy.

Source: Press Release

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North America  Port of Savannah  USA  development  ports