Georgia basked in the media spotlight this month as the biggest container ship to ever call on the East Coast paid a visit to Savannah's port. But like a Hollywood blockbuster, the sequel has to be bigger.
Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Griff Lynch said Monday that an even larger vessel, the OOCL France, is scheduled to arrive June 2, part of what is expected to be a wave of megafreighters coming to Savannah after transiting the expanded Panama Canal.
The France is part of the same ocean service as the Cosco Development, which set the East Coast record earlier this month when it visited Savannah and two other Atlantic ports. Lynch said visits by the France and Development are examples why deepening the Savannah River is so vital to the state's economy.
“We believe this is the new normal,” Lynch said of bigger vessels calling on Savannah.
Such megaships can transit the Savannah River only near high-tide and only if they’re not fully loaded. The deepening of the river to 47 feet from 42 feet is part of an effort to help Savannah keep up with rival ports.
The project took a hit last month when the Army Corps of Engineers estimated its cost would climb 38 percent to $973 million, and take two years longer to finish because of increased dredging costs and other complications.
The federal government has pledged to fund 75 percent of the project, which got started when the state put $266 million toward the initiative. The state’s share could rise by about $67 million, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported last month.
Gov. Nathan Deal told reporters earlier this month he would "support whatever is going to be necessary" to finish the dredging, while also holding the federal government to its promises.
“We are going to continue to ask the federal government to live up to their 75 percent share,” Deal said. “It’s a cooperative effort and we’re going to keep it that way.”
The Trump Administration’s first budget, to be released this week, could offer more insights into the feds’ funding plans.
The Development can hold slightly more than 13,000 TEUs, or twenty-foot equivalent container units. The France can handle more than 13,200 TEUs, Lynch said.
Ports officials have said a 14,000 TEU ship can be accommodated on the river, and the agency is modeling whether even larger ships might be able to make the 40-mile passage from the ocean to the port.
Georgia’s ports system accounts for some $40 billion in estimated economic impact across the state, and directly or indirectly touches about 400,000 jobs.
On Monday, the ports authority reported its best-ever April by cargo tonnage.
The authority handled more than 333,000 TEUs last month, up 11.7 percent from the same month a year ago. Total tonnage grew by 13 percent to 2.94 million tons, the authority said.
Refrigerated cargo — including poultry, peanuts and blueberries — increased 8.2 percent vs. April 2016. Automotive and machinery containers grew 3.5 percent from January through April compared to the same period a year ago.
Related coverage
Photos: Biggest cargo ship to ever dock on East Coast arrives in Savannah
Gov. Deal signals approval to spend more to deepen Savannah River
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