Ships reduce capacity to avoid running aground in ports – 04/13/2024 – Market

The infrastructure of Brazilian ports is outdated and cannot accommodate ships produced in recent years, which are larger and require greater access to terminals for docking. This is what representatives and entities in the sector point out.

This month, ABPA (Brazilian Animal Protein Association), which represents companies such as BRF, Cargill and Seara, claims to have gone to the Ministry of Ports and Airports to request work to increase drafts (berthing depth) in the country’s ports.

Ricardo Santin, president of the entity, states that large ships passing through Brazil currently operate with only 70% of their capacity, which harms exports. If more containers were transported, the weight of the ship would make it impossible to leave, as the depth is limited, he explains.

“Due to the size of the ships that are operating in Brazil, which are 13 thousand TEUs [medida que equivale a um contêiner de 20 pés]it has to reduce its usage capacity by 20% to 30%, otherwise it will run aground”, says Santin.

According to a study by Centronave (National Center for Transatlantic Navigation), the country stops moving around one million tons per year due to limited drafts. The entity states that, on continents such as Europe and Asia, ports already have the capacity to operate vessels of up to 24 thousand TEUs.

For the Santos (SP) terminal, for example, Centronave states that it is necessary to deepen the operational draft by at least 1.5 meters so that the port can handle newer ships.

Today, the operational draft of the channel of the organized port of Santos (area in which terminals are granted to private companies through leases) is 13.5 meters at low tide and 14.5 meters at high tide.

Centronave states that Santos stops handling around 500,000 TEUs per year, which represents a loss of revenue of US$21 billion (approximately R$107.5 billion) in imports and exports.

When contacted by the report, the Ministry of Ports and Airports said that, to meet the demand for more modern ships, the federal government has given special attention to concessions for access channels to the country’s ports.

“The concession will allow the deepening of access channels to attract larger and modern ships through public policy to promote Brazilian logistics infrastructure”, he writes in a note.

The ministry cites a series of concessions planned for the coming years, such as the access channel for the port of Paranaguá, in Paraná. Studies for the concession of the terminal are in the adjustment phase after a public hearing on the process was held. The auction is expected to be held later this year.

Between 2025 and 2026, concessions are planned in Itajaí (SC), Santos, Rio Grande (RS) and Bahia, according to the ministry.

According to Leandro Carelli Barreto, a specialist at Solve Shipping, the ideal draft to receive more modern ships would be at least 16 meters at low tide.

A survey carried out by the consultancy showed that most Brazilian ports are still below this level. This is the case of the terminals in Rio de Janeiro, Santos and Paranaguá, for example.

“Each meter of draft limitation means 800 containers left behind. That’s meat and cellulose that won’t go away. The exporter and the shipowner lose money because the port hasn’t kept up with the growth of ships,” he says.

In addition to the impact on the amount of cargo exported, the depth limit in access channels also boosts the emission of greenhouse gases. Instead of making the journey once on a larger ship, the obstacle forces companies to increase the number of trips, emitting more carbon, explains Barreto.

According to him, the expansion of drafts in ports must be accompanied by other adaptations that strengthen cargo movements. “Brazilian terminals need a combination of draft with more berths, yards and cranes.”