Georgia Ports Authority to Renovate Ocean Terminal Docks at Savannah

Dec. 12, 2022 - The Georgia Ports Authority Board has approved a plan to renovate and realign the docks at the Port of Savannah’s Ocean Terminal to better accommodate its expanding container operation.

“For nearly 40 years, Ocean Terminal has been handling a mix of container ships and breakbulk vessels. The realignment is part of a broader effort to transform the terminal into an all-container operation, shifting most breakbulk cargo to the Port of Brunswick,” said Griff Lynch, GPA executive director. “Completion of this project will improve our flexibility and allow Georgia Ports to optimize cargo movement, supporting our customers in delivering goods to market efficiently.”

GPA plans to shift breakbulk cargo carried by Wallenius Wilhelmsen Ocean to Colonel’s Island Terminal in Brunswick. Construction has started on 360,000 square feet of dockside warehousing that will serve auto processing, as well as three additional buildings and 85 acres of auto storage space on the south side of the island.

Ocean Terminal

The 200-acre Ocean Terminal facility will be modified in two phases.

Work will begin with rebuilding the docks to provide 2,800 linear feet of berth space, capable of serving two big ships simultaneously. The docks will be served by new ship-to-shore cranes.  On Tuesday, the GPA Board expanded its crane purchase by one, for a total of eight cranes slated for Ocean Terminal.

“As the dock construction progresses, GPA will continue to operate container ships at Ocean Terminal,” said Ed McCarthy, chief operating officer at Georgia Ports. “The work – which is funded by GPA’s Series 2022 Revenue Bonds – will be conducted alongside container and breakbulk operations."

Apart from new cranes and berth enhancements, the overall project will bring expanded gate facilities and paving to allow for 1.5 million twenty-foot equivalent container units of annual capacity. Wharf renovations are slated to start in January 2023, with completion of the entire terminal redevelopment expected in 2026.

The Port of Savannah is coming off its busiest October ever, in which it handled nearly 553,000 TEUs. Port officials expect container volumes to taper downward toward the end of the year. Lynch said the opening of a new container berth at Garden City Terminal next summer and volume declining from historic highs will help expedite vessel service, which saw backlogs during the height of demand.

“While we are beginning to see an anticipated market correction, it is important that GPA move forward with projects like the Ocean Terminal enhancements to accommodate business growth,” said GPA Board Chairman Joel Wooten. “Through continued infrastructure improvement, we will ensure the free flow of commerce, and our ability to meet expanding customer demand.”

Over the past year, the GPA Board has approved $1.17 billion in infrastructure advancements, including expansions to berth, container yard and rail infrastructure.

Euroports Inaugurates Three New Berths for Forest Products at Its Gaolan Terminal in South China

Nov. 22, 2022 - Euroports is pleased to announce the inauguration of three new berths at its Gaolan Terminal in South China. Furthermore, the company expects another berth to be approved for international cargo by the end of 2022.

The new area grants Euroports a total of five berths for forest products operations.

Earlier this year Euroports built a new warehouse in Gaolan designed to optimize breakbulk in – container out operations, allowing the port operator to better serve destinations for containerized cargo in China and Southeast Asia.

“These developments, along with continued investments in infrastructure, equipment, and labour resources, reinforce Euroports’ strategy to offer our customers a first-class terminal for the operation of forest products in the region,” the company said in a press release.

“A special thanks to our partners ZPH and ZICT for their unwavering dedication to the development of Gaolan Terminal,” Euroports added.

SOURCE: Euroports

Euroports Rauma Oy Handles Terminal Operations for Metsä Fibre’s New Sawmill

Oct. 20, 2022 - Metsä Fibre on Sept. 30 started production at its new sawmill in Rauma, Finland. The new sawmill has an annual capacity of 750,000 cubic metres of pine sawn timber, and the annual use of pine logs sourced in Finland is around 1.5 million cubic metres. The sawn timber produced in Rauma is sold mainly to Europe and Asia.

The sawmill’s location enables smooth logistics to transport the sawn timber to customers through the Port of Rauma. The new sawmill does not have its own warehouses. Instead, finished sawn timber is packaged and automatically loaded onto lorries, which transport it directly to the port.

Euroports Rauma Oy is responsible for the sawmill’s terminal operations. The total annual volume of the Rauma sawmill will nearly double the timber volume processed by Euroports Rauma, making the company the second largest timber operator in Finland.

“The close corporate cooperation behind the Rauma sawmill helps ensure that the wood value chain is environmentally friendly and cost-efficient,” says Sari De Meulder, Managing Director of Euroports Finland Oy.

Euroports Rauma has recently invested in the processing of timber.

Tuomas Saarnilahti, Business Unit Manager of Euroports Rauma, explains, “We use modern containerisation equipment, as well as forklifts designed for timber processing. We have also purchased a new hybrid crane that can be operated entirely on electricity. In combustion engines, we use biodiesel as fuel.”

Euroports Finland Oy’s companies are committed to mitigating negative environmental effects and establishing a safe and healthy working environment.

“Safe movement and passage were key factors in the design of the timber terminal, and we are investing in the constant reduction of carbon dioxide emissions produced by fossil fuels and the minimisation of environmental effects caused by our operations,” concludes Tuomas.

SOURCE: Euroports and Metsä Fibre

SCA Announces Beginning of Land Construction in Tunadal Port

Oct. 7, 2022 – SCA announced that land construction work is starting in the port of Tunadal, just outside of Sundsvall (Sweden). The work involves dredging in the port that will use the dredged material to create more land surface area that will support an expansion of cargo handling.

The project is part of SCA’s investment of some SEK 460 million ($54.7 million) in Tunadal Port between 2021 and 2024, which was first announced in February of 2021. At that time, SCA explained that investments in its Östrand pulp mill, in addition to the ongoing investments in pulp production at its Ortviken industrial site, will more than double the volume of pulp to be shipped from the Sundsvall region.

Preparatory work in Tunadal has been underway and at the end of September/October the actual dredging work begins. Wasa Dredging is contracted to carry out the dredging work.

"Dredges and equipment are expected to arrive at the port by the end of this week (Sept. 30) and the work itself is scheduled to start during week 39,” said Magnus Jinnerot, Construction Manager at SCA and Project Manager for the new container port. “All dredging work will take place inside a silt screen, and the work area is marked with five sea marks."

According to SCA, the dredging work will be carried out during the autumn and will continue throughout the month of November. Transport of dredged masses will begin during week 40 with approx. 10–15 barges per day. In parallel with that work, stone filling from barges will take place in the dredged area, a work that continues throughout the year.

The entire project with a new container port is expected to be completed by the end of 2023.

SOURCE: SCA