Savannah port leadership says their growth is unmatched in U.S., CEO says, as he announces retirement

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - People walking or driving down River Street may see more ships with higher cargo stacks as the Port of Savannah’s expansion continues.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has approved the permit for the Savannah Container Terminal after a three-year review process, the Georgia Ports Authority announced at its annual State of the Port of Savannah event.

GPA President Kevin Price announced the approval, saying the terminal will help take the port to a 12 million twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) gateway container capacity, according to the Georgia Ports Authority. Savannah’s current container capacity is 7.75 million TEU, according to the authority.

“We’re excited about the Savannah Container Terminal’s role in our future growth and investment plans to take us to a 12 million TEU gateway container port, serving customers in Georgia and our nation with the best infrastructure in a high growth region,” Price said, according to the Georgia Ports Authority.

New terminal construction

Georgia Ports will proceed with the next steps in developing the new 3.5 million TEU container terminal on Hutchison Island in Savannah, according to the authority. Construction starts in January 2028.

When completed in the mid-2030s, the 350-acre facility will be able to handle the largest container ships, according to the Georgia Ports Authority.

GPA CEO Griff Lynch said the new terminal is part of a broader expansion effort.

“To be announcing that we’re opening a 3.5 million TEU facility is, that’s not happening anywhere else in the United States of America. It’s truly amazing, and as Kevin said, to be doing that on top of Ocean Terminal, I think the Georgia Ports has an incredible future,” Lynch said.

Lynch also addressed the impact of tariffs on port operations.

“You know, the thing is it’s kind of an undulating thing. Tariffs hit, the customers want to beat the tariffs. Today I would tell you that customers have worked it into their supply chain, so it’s not impacting our business as much as it has initially,” Lynch said.

Lynch’s tenure and retirement

Lynch will retire from his leadership role on Aug. 1, 2027, after 16 years with Georgia Ports, according to the authority. He cited growth during his tenure, saying that since joining GPA as chief operating officer in 2011 until today as CEO, revenues have increased 213%, container volumes are up 90% and roll-on/roll-off volumes are up 60%, according to the Georgia Ports Authority.

Lynch thanked Georgia Ports employees, the GPA Board of Directors and past port leaders for decision-making, investment and long-term vision that allowed the port to adapt to changing market conditions, grow and make long-term investments, according to the authority. He also thanked Gov. Brian Kemp, Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns, the Georgia Legislature and other agencies for their partnership and support, according to the Georgia Ports Authority.

Infrastructure investment

The $2.3 billion Savannah Container Terminal is the latest step in an extensive infrastructure investment and renovation program, according to the Georgia Ports Authority. The program includes the $1.6 billion upgrade of the Ocean Terminal in the Port of Savannah from 200,000 TEU capacity to 1.75 million TEU, expected to be completed by the end of 2028, according to the authority.