Porto Itapoá Operates Three Ships Simultaneously

With seven portainers (rail-mounted cranes that move containers from the ship to the dock and vice versa) operating at the same time, the terminal took 3 hours and 30 minutes to release the three vessels.

In september, Porto Itapoá operated three ships at the same time. With seven portainers (rail-mounted cranes that move containers from the ship to the dock and vice versa) working simultaneously, the Terminal took 3 hours and 30 minutes to clear the three vessels. The Itapoá dock is 800 meters long and can accommodate up to three vessels, or, more commonly, two vessels over 330 meters in length.

Sergni Pessoa Rosa Jr., the Director of Operations, Technology, and Environment at Porto Itapoá, states that the structure provided by the Terminal is among the best in Brazil for dock operations. “We have the largest number of portainers in Santa Catarina and one of the largest in Brazil. This gives more agility to dock operations, allowing us to handle more ships more quickly,” he explains.

Additionally, Rosa Jr. highlights that Porto Itapoá’s berth depth is 17 meters, accommodating the largest vessels currently operating worldwide.

The Ships

The CMA CGM Amazon, a container ship flying the Maltese flag, is 300 meters long and 48 meters wide. The ship was handled by three teams. Each team corresponds to a portainer, along with all the equipment (trucks and cranes) and personnel supporting its operations.

The Mercosul Santos is a container ship flying the Brazilian flag. With a length of 210 meters and a width of 30 meters, the ship was handled by two teams.

Finally, the BBC Nagasaki sails under the flag of Antigua and Barbuda and is 132 meters long and 15 meters wide. The ship handled breakbulk cargo, a project cargo that cannot be accommodated inside a container.

Future Expansions

In June of this year, Governor Jorginho Mello signed a letter of intent aimed at seeking alternatives to facilitate the widening and deepening of the access channel to Baía da Babitonga. The Port of São Francisco do Sul and Porto Itapoá are part of the agreement, which involves defining the financing model, environmental licenses, contracting, execution, and monitoring of the works. The letter of intent is the first step towards funding the project, estimated at approximately R$ 300 million. The model is unprecedented in Brazil.

With the dredging work to deepen and widen the external channel that provides access to the Ports of São Francisco do Sul and Itapoá, the depth will increase from the current 14 meters to 16 meters, allowing navigation of vessels up to 366 meters long. Currently, the port complex accommodates ships up to 336 meters long.

The Porto Itapoá Director also highlights the planned dock expansion, which will extend from the current 800 meters to 1,200 meters. “We are in the environmental licensing phase for this expansion, which will allow us to work with three large vessels simultaneously,” he concludes.

Seventh Team and Increased Productivity

Acquired last year and starting operations in 2024, the new portainer at Porto Itapoá has already brought a 15% increase in productivity for ship operations. The seventh team began full operations in August, and the results are already visible, according to Rosa Jr. “The average movements per hour (MPH) in August were 94 for ship operations, which is considered excellent in the sector,” he explains.

MPH is one of the efficiency indicators for a port terminal. “We even reached 197 MPH at some points during the month, which shows there is still room for improvement,” evaluates Rosa Jr. The great advantage is the reduction in ship turnaround time, generating chain productivity throughout the port. “The positive results at the dock reflect throughout the operation, improving performance for all involved.”