The Terminal’s investments in infrastructure and in improving customer service add to the growth in demand to generate results, according to the port’s president

Porto Itapoá breaks the handling record for the second time in 2023

In May, Porto Itapoá broke its handling record in a month, reaching 98,113 TEU (Twenty-feet Equivalent Units – a unit equivalent to a 20-foot container) handled. This is the second time in the year that the terminal in Santa Catarina has surpassed its historic mark: in March, there were 92,662 TEUs.

For the president of Porto Itapoá, Cássio Schreiner, quality in customer service and operational safety are differentials that justify growth. “We are focused on making our customers’ journey with us a positive experience, which adds to their value chain,” he explains. This year, the Terminal achieved the best customer satisfaction index in Brazil, according to the Ibero-Brazilian Institute for Customer Relationship (IBRC). The Terminal was also, for the fifth consecutive year, the holder of the highest NPS (Net Promoter Score) index, which assesses how much the port customers are willing to recommend its services to others. 

Handlings at Gate, the entrance and exit way of trucks, were also a record in May. In May, 44,159 handlings were registered, in opposition to 42,921 registered in March of this year. “The market has shown signs of growth. Although this is a preliminary analysis, it shows us that we need to be prepared for greater demands,” thinks Schreiner.

Another important milestone registered in May was the handling of LCL cargo (Less Container Load – when the container contains cargo shared by more than one customer), the highest in the last four years. In May, 28 LCL containers were handled, totaling 147 different transactions.

Investments

Porto Itapoá has made major investments in its infrastructure. Last year, the company began to operate over 50,000 m² in its patio, totaling a static capacity for up to 22,000 containers. The expansion project will provide an additional 150,000 m² of patio, totaling 450,000 m² in its final phase. An investment of BRL 750 million.

The port has also invested in technology: it has acquired ten new RTGs (tire cranes) and will be the first to operate this hybrid remote-controlled equipment in South America. The investment was over BRL 120 million. The Terminal also acquired a new portainer (a crane that moves containers from ship to land and vice versa) and a new scanner to speed up security inspections. Several other pieces of equipment were also purchased in 2022.

“We have a big structural challenge, especially regarding the access channel to Babitonga Bay, as well as the duplication of the SC 416 and SC 417 highways”, assesses the president of Porto Itapoá. “We are discussing in different spheres to make the dredging of the access channel to Babitonga Bay and the adequacy of road accesses a reality,” he says, adding: “With these works concluded, we will create interesting conditions for the economic and social development of the northern region of Santa Catarina and the State as a whole, generating jobs and wealth and attracting even more investments.”