As the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers begins to move forward with the construction phase of the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project, the Port of Savannah has effectively illustrated the need to move forward by posting some of its best numbers ever.
Figures released Thursday by Georgia Ports Authority show nearly 13 percent growth in container traffic for the first quarter of the fiscal year, which began July 1.
“September’s outstanding cargo volume continued a trend of double-digit growth,” said GPA Executive Director Curtis Foltz. “Important investments in infrastructure, including the harbor deepening, new equipment and roadways are helping to position Savannah for additional growth.”
Since July, the Port of Savannah has moved 891,408 twenty-foot equivalent container units, an increase of 102,122 units. September cargo grew at the same rate, with the Port of Savannah moving 295,698 TEUs, up 12.9 percent compared to the same month a year ago.
The deepening of the Savannah River from 42 to 47 feet at low tide will enable the port to more effectively serve the heavier vessels expected to call in greater numbers after the 2016 expansion of the Panama Canal.
“The SHEP is truly a project of national significance,” said GPA board chairman James Walters. “The Port of Savannah is the second-busiest port on the East Coast, handling more than three million containers for more than 21,000 U.S. businesses.”
NOAA loans ship model
The popular “Port of Savannah — Gateway to the World” project at the Savannah International Trade and Convention Center has added another ship model — this one of the Oceanographic, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s first flagship research vessel.
“It is a great honor for us to have this model on display at
the Trade Center,” said Reed Bohne of NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, who arranged for the loan.
“The Oceanographer’s mission was truly international, sailing all the world’s oceans and logging over two million nautical miles. We are pleased to showcase one of the nation’s iconic oceanographic research vessels as part of this exhibit.”
Begun by Savannah philanthropist Howard Morrison, the Gateway project “illustrates the world-spanning scope, economic value and efficiency of the Port of Savannah to residents, convention visitors and tourists,” said Ted Moore, who donated one of the earliest models and now curates the collection.
Built in 1966 at Jacksonville’s Aerojet General Shipyards, the Oceanographic joined NOAA when the agency was formed in 1970. She sailed the world’s major waters, including the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans and the Red and Mediterranean seas, studying all aspects of oceanography and circumnavigating the globe before being decommissioned in 1996 and retrofitted into a private yacht.
Among the vessel’s many distinctions: In 1980, the Oceanographer became the first American government-owned ship allowed into a port of the People’s Republic of China since the Communist revolution in 1948.
The model was unveiled at Wednesday’s meeting of the Trade Center board.
Senior business writer Mary Carr Mayle covers the ports for Savannah Morning News and Savannahnow. Reach her at 912-652-0324 or mary.mayle@savannahnow.com.
SHIPPING SCHEDULE
Following are the ships expected to call on Georgia Ports Authority’s Garden City and Ocean terminals this week. Schedules are supplied by GPA and are subject to change.
TERMINAL VESSEL ETA
GCT NORTHERN DEDICATION Today
GCT SEA LAND EAGLE Today
GCT MAERSK HARTFORD Today
GCT NYK NEBULA Today
GCT MOL PARTNER Today
GCT KOBE EXPRESS Today
GCT XIN YANG PU Today
GCT WASHINGTON EXPRESS Saturday
GCT MAERSK DENPASAR Saturday
GCT NEW DELHI EXPRESS Saturday
GCT EVER LEGACY Sunday
GCT AUGUSTA KONTOR Sunday
GCT MSC FLORIDA Sunday
GCT SUEZ CANAL BRIDGE Sunday
GCT VIRGINIA BRIDGE Monday
GCT IBRAHIM DEDE Monday
GCT MSC LEANNE Monday
GCT OOCL HALIFAX Monday
GCT FOWAIRET Monday
OT CARMEN Monday
OT K. PLUTO Monday
GCT OOCL SOUTHAMPTON Tuesday
GCT AXEL MAERSK Tuesday
GCT BUXCOAST Tuesday
GCT APL TURQUOISE Tuesday
GCT SINGAPORE BRIDGE Tuesday
GCT ZIM CHINA Tuesday
GCT OCTAVIA Tuesday
GCT YANTIAN EXPRESS Tuesday
OT SHIRAKAMI Tuesday
GCT MSC SINDY Wednesday
GCT CMA CGM L’ETOILE Wednesday
GCT SHIPPAN ISLAND Wednesday
GCT CENTAURUS Wednesday
GCT HANJIN LOS ANGELES Wednesday
OT GRANDE GUINEA Wednesday
OT ATLANTIC IMPALA Wednesday
GCT ZIM HAIFA Thursday
GCT MSC ANGELA Thursday
GCT STADT GERA Thursday
GCT MSC SHANGHAI Thursday
GCT BREMEN BRIDGE Thursday
OT BBC SKYSAILS Thursday
OT ATLANTIC PENDANT Thursday