The Jasper Ocean Terminal(JOT) is a planned deepwater container port that will be built in South Carolina on the Savannah River, about 10 miles (16 km) downstream from Savannah, Georgia.[1] JOT is planned to open between 2035 and 2037.[1] The terminal was originally planned because additional capacity was needed by both the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) and the South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA).[2] However, the SCPA transferred its half-interest in the property to Jasper County in 2021.[3] The GPA has until September, 2021, to state whether it will develop the port with Jasper County officials.[3] The SCPA cited differing markets as the main cause for pulling out of the deal.[3]
The project has been in various stages of planning since 2007[4] and in 2008 the GPA and SCPA signed an early agreement to jointly build and operate the facility.[5] However, political tensions regarding plans to dredge the river slowed progress, and little money was invested—by 2016 only about $10 million had spent on planning and permits.[6][1] In November 2015, the ports authorities signed an updated agreement to develop the terminal,[5] and in late 2016 a new round of design work began, with an estimated $100 million cost.[1] In January 2017, the Army Corps of Engineers began the environmental impact statement for the dockside portion of Jasper Terminal.[4] The total cost of building the port is estimated at $4.5 billion.[1]
At full build-out, JOT will cover 1,500 acres, with ten berths.[6] It will be dredged to a 55 feet (17 m) depth, able to accommodate ships carrying as many as 20,000 TEU containers,[6][1] with an annual capacity of seven million TEUs.[1] Access to the facility will be via a new four lane highway connecting to US Route 17, and rail connections to both CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern Railway lines.[4]
