Keaton PetersThe communities alongside ports in Georgia are about to see some of the benefits of being neighbors with major trading hubs.
The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) is launching a series of infrastructure improvements aimed at reducing environmental impact on neighboring communities, backed by more than $120 million in federal grants. The funding spans three major projects across the ports of Savannah and Brunswick, focusing on power resilience, emissions reduction and rail system expansion.
The largest portion of funding comes from a $49.8 million Maritime Administration grant that will help create an independent power distribution network at the Port of Savannah’s Garden City Terminal. The project, which includes $88.2 million in matching funds from GPA, will strengthen operational resilience while supporting the port’s transition from diesel to electric-powered yard equipment.
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“We are constantly looking for ways to be a good steward for our local communities near our ports in Savannah and Brunswick,” said GPA President and CEO Griff Lynch, in a press release. “These federal grants will help us reduce the community impact of our ship, rail and truck traffic operations and emissions.”
Ports nationwide are under increasing pressure to add capacity and speed up their operations. The port of Savannah is among the fastest growing in the country, but that presents a challenge as more traffic also increases the burden on the people who live closest to the ports. As the state looks to be responsible neighbors and address the pollution that can come with being a major trading hub, the funding secured for Georgia ports will be lused to ensure those communities’ concerns are addressed.
Another major part of the funding comes from a $48.7 million Environmental Protection Agency grant to install shore power capabilities at four docking areas: three in Savannah and one in Brunswick. With $5.4 million in matching funds from GPA, this project will allow ships to plug into the electrical grid while docked instead of running diesel engines.
The electrification is expected to reduce annual carbon dioxide emissions by 13,000 tons and cut other pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and particulate matter by 250 tons annually. The EPA funding will also support the purchase of 16 electric terminal jockey trucks and associated charging infrastructure, replacing older diesel models.
Brunswick’s Colonel’s Island facility will receive $26.5 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation for Phase II of its rail improvements project. Combined with $27.6 million in matching funds from GPA and rail partner Genesee & Wyoming Inc., the expansion will significantly increase the port’s automotive handling capacity. Once complete, the project will add nearly 500,000 units of annual rail capacity, bringing the total to approximately 700,000 units.
The grants also support GPA’s environmental monitoring program, which includes a network of air quality monitors installed in collaboration with the EPA and local neighborhood associations. Savannah stands out as the largest container port in the nation participating in Green Marine, a voluntary sustainability certification program that requires third-party verification of environmental data.
These infrastructure improvements come as GPA reports its tenth consecutive month of growth in both container and cargo volumes. October 2024 saw the port handle 494,261 twenty-foot equivalent container units and 68,569 units of roll-on/roll-off cargo. The funding announcements also build on GPA’s broader community engagement efforts, which include a $6 million commitment to support local workforce housing initiatives near the Port of Savannah.
For the port communities, the benefits extend beyond environmental improvements. GPA Board Chairman Kent Fountain highlighted ongoing projects like the $29 million Ocean Terminal overpass in Savannah, which will route port trucks directly to interstate highways rather than through local streets. “While the grade separation may have been more costly, the Georgia Ports Board chose this option to maintain the highest quality of life for our neighbors,” Fountain said.
Photo courtesy US Army Corps of Engineers, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
