Georgia Ports targets community improvements with $120M in grants for electrical and rail infrastructure 

At the Georgia Ports Authority meeting Monday, President and CEO Griff Lynch outlined plans to improve operational sustainability for neighboring communities in Savannah and Brunswick as the driver of three federal grants totaling more than $120 million.

“We are constantly looking for ways to be a good steward for our local communities near our ports in Savannah and Brunswick. These federal grants will help us reduce the community impact of our ship, rail and truck traffic operations and emissions. We’d like to thank our federal partners for their role in supporting our plans to reduce our carbon footprint and strengthen our business resiliency,” Lynch said.

Resilient Power Supply

A $49.8 million Maritime Administration grant will help ensure uninterrupted power supply at the Port of Savannah’s Garden City Terminal.

The project will create an on-terminal electricity distribution network fed by GPA-owned generators and substations. The ability to more quickly restore power will protect temperature-controlled cargo such as food and medicine to minimize disruptions in the event of a natural disaster.

Lynch said a more resilient power supply is also key to a GPA initiative transitioning from diesel to electric-powered yard equipment. GPA will match the federal grant with $88.2 million.

Shore Power for ships at berth

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded GPA $48.7 million to provide shore power at a total of four berths: Three in Savannah and one at the Port of Brunswick. GPA will match the grant with $5.4 million in local funding.

The new electrical infrastructure will help ocean carriers meet carbon reduction goals by shutting off engines at dock. Plug-in power will provide an expected annual reduction of 13,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year, as well as a reduction of 250 tons of pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and particulate matter.

The EPA grant will also fund 16 new electric terminal jockey trucks and charging infrastructure. The electric trucks will replace older, diesel-powered models. Both measures will reduce emissions on terminal and for the surrounding neighborhoods.

Board Chairman Kent Fountain said another example of GPA including community in its Port Master Plan is the overpass the Authority is building at Ocean Terminal in Savannah which is now 60% complete. It will take trucks from the port directly onto the interstate highway, avoiding local streets and providing more seamless access to inland markets.

“While the $29 million 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.

Brunswick Rail

The Georgia Ports Authority has been awarded $26.5 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation to help construct Phase II of the Colonel’s Island Rail Improvements project at the Port of Brunswick.

GPA and rail partner Genesee & Wyoming Inc. will match the grant with $27.6 million.

The funding will complete the build-out of a new railyard needed to handle the growing volume of automotive exports and imports moving through Brunswick, the second busiest Roll-on/Roll-off port in the United States.

Phase I of the Brunswick rail project, funded by GPA at $22 million, is now under construction. When both phases are complete, the expansion will add nearly 500,000 Ro/Ro units of annual rail capacity, for a new total of approximately 700,000 units.

“Our customers have expressed interest in increased rail capacity for exports of autos and high and heavy machinery. This project is a win-win for all port stakeholders, reducing port impacts on the local community while delivering needed capacity for exports,” Lynch added.

Environmental Effort

The GPA initiatives are part of a broader effort to reduce the carbon footprint and community impact of port operations

Lynch said efforts range from acquiring modern, electric machines for cargo handling to helping drivers tap into federal grants to buy cleaner trucks, designing gate and terminal road infrastructure to prevent truck idling, and providing industry-leading speed in vessel service to get ships in and out of the port quickly.

While the port and its surrounding communities meet federal standards for air quality, GPA has installed a network of monitors to determine a baseline of emissions to guide its future efforts. This initiative is in collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and with local neighborhood associations, whose community centers and other sites serve as monitoring locations.

Savannah is the largest container port in the nation participating in Green Marine, a voluntary sustainability certification for the marine industry. This certification includes a third-party verification of GPA’s sustainability program and data. GPA has also hired a consultant that provides third-party verification of its emissions data.

Monthly Performance

Also at the Board meeting Monday, Lynch reported GPA’s October 2024 performance of 494, 261 twenty-foot equivalent container units and 68,569 units of Roll-on/Roll-off cargo constituted the 10th straight month of consecutive growth in both categories.

GPA projects it will have positive growth in containers and RoRo in November when the November numbers are reported in mid-December.