(1) NEW CHARLESTON NAVY BASE TERMINAL
The Port of Charleston is one of the very few U.S. ports with terminal construction permits in hand. In April 2007, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued the federal permits for a new three-berth, 280-acre container terminal on the former Navy Base. Construction is well underway. Demolition and site prep is nearly complete and work on the $55 million containment wall began in June 2009. At full build-out, the new terminal will increase port capacity by 1.4 million TEU, or approximately 50%.

(2) JASPER OCEAN TERMINAL
South Carolina and Georgia are seeking to work cooperatively to develop a new marine terminal on the Savannah River in Jasper County. Based on an intergovernmental agreement, the site is now jointly owned by the two port authorities and preliminary market, transportation, environmental and dredged material work is underway. A bi-state agreement and compact approved by each state's General Assembly and the U.S. Congress will be developed to cover the financing and operation of the project, as well as other issues.

(3) $217.2 MILLION CAPITAL PLAN
To provide ample capacity, encourage volume growth and improve utilization of existing terminals, the South Carolina State Ports Authority has a $217.2-million capital spending plan for fiscal years 2010 and 2011. The plan will fund improvements to existing facilities, such as yard expansion and enhancement, security projects, new equipment and dock and infrastructure improvements, as well as projects related to new terminal development at the former Navy Base.

(4) DEEPER AND DEEPEST CHANNELS
The Port of Charleston has the deepest water on the U.S. South Atlantic coast, and regularly handles container vessels drawing 47 feet of water. This deep water advantage will become even more important with the Panama Canal expansion completion in 2014. The Port of Charleston is currently 47 feet deep at mean low water in the entrance channel and 45 feet inside the harbor. Charleston’s channels have the opportunity to go even deeper thanks to federal funding for the resumption of a reconnaissance study on future deepening.