Porto Itapoá adds capacity with 540 more reefer outlet

With this expansion, the Terminal now has 3,432 outlets in operation, consolidating its position as the largest in terms of capacity in Santa Catarina

Porto Itapoá has completed the first phase of its expansion of outlets for refrigerated containers (reefers), with the installation of 540 new units. With this expansion, the Terminal now has 3,432 outlets in operation, consolidating its position as the largest in terms of capacity in Santa Catarina and moving towards becoming the second largest in Brazil. In December, another 540 outlets will be added, totaling 3,972 units.

New expansion

Porto Itapoá is beginning its Phase IV of expansion, with investments expected to total R$500 million over the next 12 months. This project is another step in the continuous growth of the Terminal – consolidated among the four largest in Brazil – which plans to be the largest and most efficient in South America by 2033.

Located in Babitonga Bay, in Santa Catarina, Porto Itapoá has a yard of 455 thousand square meters, with a static capacity of 31 thousand TEUs (a unit of measurement equivalent to a 20-foot container) and the capacity to move up to 1.8 million TEUs per year.

New equipment

Among the new investments, we highlight the acquisition of another portainer – essential equipment for moving containers on large ships – the eighth in Itapoá’s fleet.

The pier, the structure where the ships dock, should also be expanded soon, gaining another 400m in length, adding to the current 800m, which will allow for the docking of three larger ships. Felipe Kaufmann reveals that the expansion has already been licensed by Ibama and that the work must follow a strategic schedule.

Also in the modernization package, 12 RTGs (tire cranes) operated by remote control will be acquired. Currently, Porto Itapoá already has 10 remotely controlled RTGs, making it the first port terminal in South America to have this technology.

Nine terminal tractors (TTs), trucks that move containers in the yard and dock, will also be acquired. Currently, the Terminal has 49 TTs, 20 of which are electric, the largest fleet of electric TTs in Brazil. “These TTs are charged with 100% renewable energy, in line with Porto Itapoá’s sustainability policy”, reinforces the director.

Another important acquisition announced is a new, state-of-the-art scanner. Porto Itapoá already has two scanners, essential equipment for ensuring the safety of cargo movement.