At the Georgia Trade Conference, Georgia Ports Authority’s executive director revealed a major expansion and hiring effort coming to the Port of Savannah slated during the next 10 years.
The container terminal space is set to expand by more than 145 acres, executive director Griff Lynch said at the conference in Sea Island, Georgia. Efforts to hire college and high school students are in the works, Lynch said.
“This is the largest addition of container terminal space in Savannah in more than 20 years, and represents a powerful opportunity for Georgia to take on new trade,” Lynch said in a written statement. “As the Georgia Ports Authority enters its 75th year, we are proud to follow in the tradition of those who came before us, making exciting advances in capacity and technology to ensure our terminals remain at the forefront of global commerce.”
Credit: J. Scott Trubey/AJC
Credit: J. Scott Trubey/AJC
The improved dock and additional container yard space will increase the GPA’s capacity to more than 9 million 20-foot equivalent units by 2030. By 2023, the GPA will add an additional berth, for a total of four big ship vessel slots.
The new facility will have a capacity of 2.5 million TEUs when fully developed. Phase I is projected to come online in 2025.
“The expansion at our deepwater ports in both Savannah and Brunswick is helping to fuel growth, and in turn investment, jobs and increased competitiveness on the global stage,” said GPA Board Chairman Will McKnight. “With the kind of investment and infrastructure development announced (Tuesday), Georgia’s ports will undoubtedly stay ahead of the curve and the competition.”
Though Lynch didn’t speak about the specific number of jobs, he mentioned an effort to expand the Authority’s Y.E.S. (Youth Learning Equipment and Safety) program. The program hires and trains high school graduates for equipment operator careers. Each year, GPA hopes to hire 50 recent graduates via the program.
Lynch also unveiled a new program, dubbed GET SET (Sustainability, Efficiency, Technology).
“The GET SET program is a competitive juried contest for college students in Georgia, in which they will be challenged to put forth innovative solutions to issues faced by the maritime logistics community,” Lynch said. “Students or student teams submitting winning entries will receive a cash prize totaling $25,000.”
