Feature, Freight News, Logistics

Georgia, South Carolina Shelve Jasper Terminal

[ November 13, 2026   //   Gary Burrows ]

Georgia and South Carolina have halted work on the long-planned Jasper Ocean Terminal, setting aside a binational port project once envisioned as one of North America’s largest container facilities.

The Georgia Ports Authority and South Carolina Ports agreed in a May 19 letter to “stand down” all work on the project. The joint authority overseeing Jasper has not met since 2024, according to reporting by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The proposed terminal would occupy about 1,500 acres on the South Carolina side of the Savannah River, several miles downstream from the Port of Savannah. Plans contemplated 10 vessel berths and annual capacity of about 7 million TEUs.

The two states formalized their partnership in 2008 after years of disagreement over control of the site. Georgia owns the land, while the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers holds an easement allowing it to use the property for material dredged from the Savannah River.

The authorities have not formally canceled the project, and port officials continue to describe Jasper as a possible long-term development. However, both states are now directing capital toward terminals they control independently.

Georgia Ports is preparing a container terminal on Hutchinson Island, across the Savannah River from its existing facilities. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2028. The authority also is investing US$1.6 billion to convert Savannah’s Ocean Terminal into a container facility with annual capacity of 1.75 million TEUs.

South Carolina Ports has expansion land adjoining existing Charleston facilities, including property near North Charleston Terminal. It also has slowed or reconsidered some projects as it places greater emphasis on developments tied directly to revenue or operating savings.

Together, planned projects in Savannah and Charleston could raise the two systems’ annual container capacity to about 22 million TEUs. The ports handled about 7 million TEUs combined during the fiscal year ended June 30, leaving substantial room for growth without Jasper.

The stand-down also creates uncertainty around related infrastructure proposals in Jasper County. Local officials have long associated the terminal with road and rail improvements, including a proposed interchange on Interstate 95. Warehousing and industrial development in the county nevertheless continues to benefit from its proximity to the Port of Savannah.

Supporters argue that the Jasper site remains one of the few large undeveloped locations on the East Coast capable of accommodating a major container terminal. Developing it would require extensive road and rail connections, another vessel turning basin and an alternative location for dredged material now deposited on the property.

Port officials have suggested that demand might eventually revive the project, potentially in the 2040s or later. For now, the stand-down effectively ends Jasper’s role in the two states’ immediate capacity plans.

Georgia Ports did not respond to an FBJNA request for additional comment by press time.

Tags: Georgia Ports Authority, South Carolin Ports, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers