DESPITE tariffs slowing China trade growth, container volumes from Asia through the Port of Savannah continue to smash records mostly because of dredging, reports Georgia Public Broadcasting.
'For every foot that the Army Corps of Engineers can deepen the river, we can add 200 more containers, so, for five feet that they are about to dredge out, that's a thousand containers per ship,' said Georgia Ports Authority chief operating officer Edward McCarthy.
In other words, a deeper harbour means bigger ships. Bigger ships mean more cargo. More cargo means more profit, Mr McCarthy said.
'That adds up to hundreds of thousands of containers on an annual basis to the state of Georgia,' he said.
The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) is ordering six new cranes for US$70 million. Its executive director and Georgia's US senators are asking the White House to rethink taxing them.
Ten years ago, the port could only dock ships of 6,000 TEU now it can handle 14,000 TEUers.
The dredged harbour will be able to dock six mega ships at once with 37 cranes. A plan is underway to get trucks off the road with a rail hub, now under construction near the port.
It's expected to double the amount of cargo that leaves there by train. It'll have 18 tracks spanning 180,000 feet. The hub will accommodate 'unit trains,' which span more than 10,000 feet.
By 2020, the Port of Savannah plans to complete a train hub that will allow it to transport cargo on the Mason Mega Rail.
WORLD SHIPPING
'For every foot that the Army Corps of Engineers can deepen the river, we can add 200 more containers, so, for five feet that they are about to dredge out, that's a thousand containers per ship,' said Georgia Ports Authority chief operating officer Edward McCarthy.
In other words, a deeper harbour means bigger ships. Bigger ships mean more cargo. More cargo means more profit, Mr McCarthy said.
'That adds up to hundreds of thousands of containers on an annual basis to the state of Georgia,' he said.
The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) is ordering six new cranes for US$70 million. Its executive director and Georgia's US senators are asking the White House to rethink taxing them.
Ten years ago, the port could only dock ships of 6,000 TEU now it can handle 14,000 TEUers.
The dredged harbour will be able to dock six mega ships at once with 37 cranes. A plan is underway to get trucks off the road with a rail hub, now under construction near the port.
It's expected to double the amount of cargo that leaves there by train. It'll have 18 tracks spanning 180,000 feet. The hub will accommodate 'unit trains,' which span more than 10,000 feet.
By 2020, the Port of Savannah plans to complete a train hub that will allow it to transport cargo on the Mason Mega Rail.
WORLD SHIPPING