Planned dredging should improve gaucho waterway modal

The perspective of several dredging to be carried out on the Rio Grande do Sul waterway is seen by agents in the logistics sector as a fundamental action to improve the conditions for cargo movement by this modal. The actions will be carried out by the state and federal governments and the planned investments must exceed the level of R$ 90 million.

As far as the State government is concerned, the Secretariat for Logistics and Transport informs that, initially, the proposal was to dredge five priority channels. “But what happened after that, whether due to past technical data or requests from users of the waterways, is that new channels entered this agenda as a priority, serving all sectors of the economy that use the waterway”, informs the note folder.

The channels that should be dredged will be the Feitoria, in Lagoa dos Patos (dredged in 2020, but which is already silted up, needing redredging), Leitão, Pedras Brancas, Itapuã, in Lake Guaíba, and Furadinho, in the Jacuí Delta. In addition to these, the channels that were requested by inland navigation, Foz dos Sinos and Foz do Caí, among others, must be worked on in a smaller volume, but which are necessary for the movement of the terminals that serve that region.

The initial estimate was a contribution of BRL 60 million in these services, however, due to the silting that occurred, after five months, the value should increase. This amount depends on the bathymetry (measurements) that will still be made, to effectively know what will be dredged. Today, Portos RS (a public company responsible for managing the Rio Grande do Sul hydroport system) is in the process of contracting the bathymetries of all inland navigation channels.

Annually, the siltation rate in the interior channels that are under the responsibility of Portos RS is around 550 thousand cubic meters. The liability today should be around 5.5 million cubic meters and to eliminate it, the Secretariat for Logistics and Transport emphasizes that it depends on the definition of some premises, such as the capacity of the dredger that will be used. There is no set schedule for carrying out the dredging.

For the director-president of the Waterways Association of Rio Grande do Sul (HidroviasRS), Wilen Manteli, the dredging should have already been done. “It should have taken place before this summer, but things are too much talk and action is lacking”, comments the manager. He defends that a public hearing be held to detail the stage at which the dredging service is so that the business class can plan.

Manteli says that many vessels may stop navigating the Rio Grande do Sul waterway if conditions are not ideal. “The government says it has funds, so we want to know the deadlines. It is a job that would have to be done on an emergency basis”, reinforces the director. According to the member of HidroviasRS, the lack of dredging in Lagoa do Patos was one of the main causes of the drop, last year, in the entry of long-haul ships that are destined for the port of the capital of Rio Grande do Sul. In 2021, according to him, the movement of 202 vessels was recorded and in 2022 the number dropped to 122.

If the State government is in charge of carrying out the necessary dredging for the ships to arrive or leave the port of Rio Grande by the waterway, in the Half South, the National Department of Transport Infrastructure (Dnit) is working on the maintenance and operation of a river further into the territory of Rio Grande do Sul: the Taquari River. This route is essential for vessels to reach the port of Estrela.

The agency, linked to the federal government, is investing BRL 34 million in services for dredging and signaling the river, and the forecast for this year is that 60,000 cubic meters of material will be removed. According to the Dnit press office, the contract for dredging the waterway is for continuous routine maintenance, with the current one starting in March 2021 and ending in March 2026.

The Taquari river waterway has a navigable length of 86.5 kilometers and allows the connection between the road, water and rail port of Estrela and the ports of Porto Alegre and Rio Grande, passing through several terminals for private use. Today, the Estrelense complex is under municipal management, and the Public Company of Estrela Logistics (E-log) was established, which, among other functions, manages the structure.

The president of E-log, Elaine Gorgn Strehl, details that the dredging that is taking place on the Taquari River goes from the Capital to the dam in Bom Retiro do Sul. The leader adds that the route from the dam to the port of Estrela, which covers approximately 20 kilometers, is not included within the investment foreseen in the current contract. However, she reveals that in January there was a meeting with Dnit representatives who informed that this section will be included, in the future, through an amendment.

“But, before starting any dredging, bathymetry must be carried out between the dam and the port”, Elaine adds. With this action, it will be possible to determine the situation of the river and verify the real need for dredging. The E-log representative anticipates that the bathymetry should be carried out by August and, subsequently, if necessary, dredging could begin in the second half of the year.

Elaine points out that, currently, there is only movement of sand in the port of Estrela. However, she hopes that by the end of the year the transport of grains will be resumed, with larger vessels. The last time this activity was practiced there was in 2014. Among the loads that can be worked on, the manager mentions soy, wheat, bran and animal feed.