Posted on June 22, 2026
A DredgeWire Exclusive
DredgeWire is pleased that Eric Ramírez Barreto of RMZ Marine will be contributing insightful pieces for DredgeWire with his insights on the maritime market.
We think you’ll be intrigued by what he has to say.
Here is his second column.
The Savannah Harbor Expansion Project (SHEP) was completed in 2022, deepening the federal channel from 42 feet to 47 feet. At the time, the project was supported by a strong economic case. The feasibility study estimated approximately $7.70 in economic benefits for every dollar invested.
Four years later, Georgia Ports Authority is already looking at what’s next.
On June 2, GPA submitted a letter to the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works requesting a new study to evaluate additional channel deepening and the addition of passing lanes that would allow arriving and departing vessels to transit simultaneously.
GPA President and CEO Griff Lynch summarized the challenge clearly:
“The shipping channel needs to be deepened and widened to better accommodate the largest ships currently serving Savannah, and to prepare for even larger, more efficient vessels expected to serve the U.S. East Coast.”
That’s what makes this study interesting.
The original SHEP design and economic analyses were based on vessel classes substantially smaller than many of the ships now calling Savannah. Today, the port regularly serves vessels capable of carrying more than 16,000 TEU. As vessel sizes continue to increase, port planners are evaluating whether current channel dimensions could eventually become a constraint on future growth.
The larger lesson is about timing.
Ships evolve on a timeline measured in years.
Major federal navigation projects evolve on a timeline measured in decades.
Even with WRDA 2024 authorization and initial FY2026 funding, a study of this scale will require years of engineering, economic analysis, environmental review, and stakeholder coordination before any construction decision is made.
For marine contractors and dredging firms in the Southeast, this is a long-horizon signal rather than an immediate opportunity.
The contractors that understand Savannah District procurement, environmental constraints, stakeholder dynamics, and federal navigation processes will be the ones best positioned if the project ultimately advances.
The study has started. That’s when the preparation begins.
Publisher’s Note: DredgeWire Publisher Peter Bowe was on the Supervisory Board of IHC, as Royal IHC was then called, in the late 1980s and early 1990s; during that time he had an indirect beneficial interest in the company.
Publication of this article does not constitute endorsement by DredgeWire. The views expressed are solely those of the author.
