The port of Brunswick’s Colonel’s Island ro-ro terminal has increased finished vehicle and equipment volumes by 10.6% in the fiscal year to October.

GPA_Three-Ships_ Brunswick

GPA to add capacity in Brunswick

Source: Georgia Ports Authority

The development of a fourth berth, which is currently in the engineering phase, will also more efficiently accommodate modern vessels capable of carrying 7,000-plus vehicles.

The US port of Brunswick has increased finished vehicle and rolling equipment volumes at its Colonel’s Island terminal by 10.6% in the fiscal year to date (from July 1 to October 31), handling more than 300,600 units. For the month of October the terminal processed almost 68,600 ro-ro units. In calendar year 2023 the port of Brunswick handled 740,000 ro-ro units.

The port has been increasing its vehicle handling over the last few years and the governing Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) has responded with a massive industrial expansion of vehicle and equipment handling facilities at the Colonel’s Island terminal. Total investment of $262m is being spent to develop new infrastructure across approximately 40 hectares (100 acres) of property and make other upgrades. As featured in the autumn edition of Automotive Logistics magazine, the overall project accommodates a new vehicle processing centre (VPC) for Nissan North America and the shift of Wallenius Wilhelmsen’s equipment-handling operations from the port of Savannah to Brunswick in what is now called the South Atlantic Transportation and Logistics Mega Center.

“With the significant infrastructure investments we’re making at the nation’s largest auto port, GPA is prepared to handle future growth from new and existing customers,” said GPA president and CEO Griff Lynch in September. “This move comes in response to requests from auto manufacturers seeking to expand their cargo volumes through Georgia.”

Colonel’s Island Terminal handled more than 870,000 units of ro-ro cargo in fiscal year 2024, which ended in June. Annual capacity at Colonel’s Island is now 1.4m vehicle and machinery units – a 40% increase on 2023.

The GPA also reported that nearby Savannah port handled more than 494,000 TEU container units in October, an increase 10% on the same month last year. It was the third busiest October on record, according to GPA, after 2021 and 2022.

GPA said containers can connect from vessel to rail in one day thanks to the on-terminal Mason Mega Rail facility, which provides rail services to customers via both Norfolk Southern and CSX Class 1 railroads. 

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