Georgia 16, August 9, 2023

August 9

2023

Vol. XXV • No. 16

The Industrial Company Delivering $410M Port Upgrade

By Irwin Rapoport CEG CORRESPONDENT

The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) is spending $410 million to transform and upgrade the 200-acre Ocean Terminal in the Port of Savannah, a project that is being undertaken by The Industrial Company (TIC), which is responsible for the wharf/berth refurbishment element.

The new Ocean Terminal berths are being constructed in phases, with the first expected to open in 2025 and the second one year later. The entire project is expected to take five years to complete.

The current Ocean Terminal, a dedicated breakbulk and roll-on/roll-off facility, provides customers with more than 1.4 million sq. ft. of covered storage and has five berths with direct rail access. It handles the majority of the state’s breakbulk cargo, that includes steel, paper and lumber. These operations are currently being transferred to the Port of Brunswick, roughly 70 mi. south of the Port of Savannah. Savannah is the country’s fourth-busiest container port and is experiencing a $10 million upgrade to accommodate more cargo and provide more efficient services.

“The Authority is transitioning the 200-acre Ocean Terminal in Savannah,” said Edward Fulford, the GPA’s manager of media relations. “Having handled a mix of containers and breakbulk cargo for 40 years, Ocean Terminal will become an all-container facility. Demolition has begun to make way for berth improvements and container yard construction. Rebuilding the docks will provide 2,800 feet of berth space, capable of serving two big ships simultaneously.

see PORT page 6

New Lithium-Ion Battery Factory Coming to Decatur County

Chicago-based Anovion Technologies, a climate tech-driven advanced materials company, announced recently that it had selected Decatur County, Ga., as the site of its first large-scale expansion of manufacturing capacity for production of premium synthetic graphite anode materials.

Anovion chose the location in the southwest part of the Peach State to invest an initial $800 million for its 1.5-million-sq.-ft. plant based on several factors, including its proximity to existing and planned low- and carbon-free energy sources for power, short

supply chains, access to existing rail infrastructure, a highly valuable skilled workforce and business-friendly environment.

In short, Decatur County is seen as an ideal fit for Anovion’s new expansion by company officials.

“Anovion conducted a thorough search to identify a location that addressed our energy, transportation, logistics and human capital needs that would ensure we have the ecosystem in place to produce the highest quality and sustainable synthetic graphite anode material on the market today,” said Eric

Stopka, the company’s CEO.

“Not only does existing infrastructure make southwest Georgia an attractive location for [our] new facility, but the proximity to other battery and [electric vehicle] manufacturing plants will allow us to further reduce our carbon footprint.”

As a leader in innovation and production of lithium-ion battery materials, Anovion began commercial production in early 2021 and is among a limited number of graphite anode producers in America to have successfully gained qualification for EV applica-

tions.

In October 2022, Anovion was awarded a grant totaling $117 million from the U.S. Department of Energy under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to rapidly scale production capacity to meet growing demand with the construction of a large-scale factory in the Southeast, in addition to helping secure the domestic battery manufacturing supply chain for the country’s electrified future.

The new Georgia facility, which will be the first of this scale for the company, is seen see FACTORY page 6

Your Georgia Connection: Rich Olivier, Atlanta, GA • 1-800-409-1479

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Repurposing the current Ocean to service ships transporting containers is more efficient compared to constructing a new facility.

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Port Improvements Include Eight New Electric Cranes

“Another eight cranes are destined for Ocean Terminal,” he added. “Expanded gates and paving will allow for two million TEUs of annual container yard capacity. By 2026, these renovations will provide space for expanding trade and vessel operations. We’re also improving the paving surface to hold container stacks. These projects will bring to six the number of neopanamax vessels the Port of Savannah can handle simultaneously. To work the larger ships, GPA will add eight new all electric ship-to-shore cranes at Ocean Terminal by 2026. The taller ship-to-shore cranes will replace three older cranes that are not suited to handling neopanamax vessels.”

The eight cranes will cost $163 million.

Konecranes OYI, a Finnish company, is providing the ship-to-shore cranes.

Last March, the GPA announced that it agreed to spend $170 million on 55 hybrid-engine rubber-tired gantry cranes to outfit the Ocean Terminal, as it is redeveloped into an allcontainer facility.

“This significant investment in new equipment will help prepare the Port of Savannah to handle more ships and cargo while maintaining the world-class service our customers have come to expect,” said GPA Executive Director Griff

Lynch. “These new machines will expand our capabilities, operate at lower cost and leave a smaller carbon footprint than conventional diesel cranes.”

Lynch noted that repurposing the current Ocean to service ships transporting containers is more efficient compared to constructing a new facility.

The cranes will exclusively operate off electric battery power, with diesel generators running only to recharge batteries. This will reduce fuel consumption by an estimated 47 percent compared to all-diesel machines. Per-year, that is a reduction of 8,800 gal. of diesel per crane, or nearly 500,000 gal. annually across the Ocean Terminal fleet.

“This will result in a fuel purchase savings of more than $1.6 million per-year at current rates,” said Fulford.

The new cranes reduce emissions by 50 percent compared to conventional diesel cranes. At an annual average of 4,000 operating hours per RTG, the hybrid engines will avoid yearly emissions of 127 tons per crane, or nearly 7,000 tons across the 55-RTG fleet.

“With every infrastructure expansion, the Georgia Ports Authority seeks to ensure its operations progress toward improved long-term sustainability,” said GPA Board Chairman Joel Wooten. “Economic development, environmental stewardship, governance, and employee and community engagement are all important facets in that effort.”

The gantry cranes will use special “whisper” movement alarms that sound like static, rather than the typical threetone alarms. The combination of hybrid power and quieter alarms will help control the sound of operations for neighboring communities.

“The new cranes can work stacks that are six containers high and seven wide – one container wider than GPA’s current largest RTGs,” said Fulford. “Wider stacks mean fewer rows and a denser, more efficient use of space. The RTGs currently serving Ocean Terminal will be repurposed in other areas of operation.”

A key partner for the GPA is the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), which will play an important role in the terminal’s completion and traffic control around Ocean Terminal.

“GDOT is currently reviewing plans to route port traffic directly from the terminal onto U.S. 17/Interstate 16, avoiding near-port streets, which could minimize community impacts,” said GDOT’s Susan Gardner, senior director of operations and projects. “Directing trucks in this manner will expedite cargo, while preventing unnecessary traffic in neighboring communities.”  CEG

(All photos courtesy of Georgia Port Authority.)

Sustainability, Technology Part of Plans for Battery Factory

PORT from page 1 FACTORY

by Anovion as a crucial first step to reshoring production of synthetic graphite anode, a product favored by EV and battery manufacturers for its consistency and performance.

Anovion’s new Georgia plant is expected to initially produce 40,000 metric tons per year once fully operational and create hundreds of high-quality local clean energy jobs for the surrounding region.

“We’re proud to welcome Anovion to the No. 1 state for business that is fast becoming the e-mobility capital of the nation,” said

Gov. Brian Kemp. “Job creators like them are recognizing that every corner of our state has the resources and workforce needed for success. Having met their team personally, I look forward to celebrating their partnership with the hardworking Georgians of Decatur County.”

Leading With Sustainability

Anovion said it plans to bring innovative, sustainable and technologically advanced manufacturing processes to the new Decatur County facility. This includes relying on the

region’s rapidly decarbonizing energy mix to power the manufacturing process and introducing the manufacturer’s proprietary furnace technologies that not only substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions but also lay out a clear roadmap for Anovion to achieve a carbon-neutral footprint over time.

“Our long-term, strategic vision is to focus on growth and innovation, positioning Anovion as a leader in the U.S. energy transition and, equally importantly, securing a domestic source for these critical materials required for U.S. lithium-ion battery produc-

tion,” explained Chip Dunn, Anovion’s executive chairman. “We are excited to bring our full arsenal of innovation to our new Georgia facility to execute our long-term business strategy and, together, combat the climate crisis.”

In addition to efforts in Georgia, the company is expanding its Anovion Center of Excellence and its hydro-powered, sister manufacturing facility in Sanborn, N.Y., near Niagara Falls, one of the only qualified U.S. sources of battery-grade synthetic graphite to commercially ship product today. 

To work the larger ships, the Georgia Port Authority will add eight new all electric ship-to-shore cranes at Ocean Terminal by 2026.

The new Ocean Terminal berths are being constructed in phases, with the first expected to open in 2025 and the second one year later.

from page 1