Porto Itapoá competes for cargo with Santos and Paranaguá after dredging
With R$333 million in dredging, Porto Itapoá prepares to receive giant ships and attract cargo from the ports of Santos and Paranaguá. Check out the details.
TL;DR
- Porto Itapoá is investing R$333 million in dredging the Baía da Babitonga to deepen its access channel from 14 to 16 meters.
- The project aims to allow the port to receive larger ships, up to 366 meters long and with a capacity of 16,000 TEUs.
- The deepening of the channel is expected to significantly reduce freight costs by enabling 'full loading' for ships.
- The port anticipates attracting industrial and agribusiness cargo, including metal-mechanic, food, animal protein, wood, furniture, and paper & cellulose.
- An additional R$500 million is being invested in expanding the terminal's yard and acquiring new cranes.
- Road access, including BR-101, BR-280, and SC-416, requires urgent duplication to handle increased truck traffic.
- The low utilization of Santa Catarina's railway network is a critical bottleneck for competitive door-to-door logistics.