This initiative was based on a study carried out by the Porto Itapoá maintenance team, who analyzed the oil they used and showed that the same oil could be used for twice as long, without any risk of damage.

Porto Itapoá reduces its lubricating oil use by half

From this year onwards, the amount of lubricating oil used in the diesel engines of the Rubber Tired Gantry Cranes (RTGs) at Porto Itapoá wil be reduced by half. As a result, the Terminal is now using around 10 thousand liters less of oil and 120 fewer filters. This initiative was based on a study carried out internally by the maintenance team, who analyzed the oil they used in a specialist laboratory and showed that the same oil could be used for twice as long, without any risk of damage.

The studies lasted about a year, said Sergni Pessoa Rosa Jr., the Director of Operations, the Environment and Technology, “The oil in this equipment was being used for 500 operational hours and a technical analysis showed that this could be increased. The laboratory results confirmed that the time it could be used for could be doubled, without the lubricant losing any of its ideal properties”, he explained.

The used oil is sent to a company that recycles it, and repurposes it for sale. “Even when it is properly disposed of, it is still important to reduce consumption as a whole, and make the whole process more sustainable”, stated Rosa Jr.

The Santa Catarina Terminal will save around BRL 218,000 in oil and filters, in 2023. “This demonstrates that sustainability has many different factors: it provides environmental and financial benefits and it makes companies and organizations more resilient and healthy”, stressed the director of Porto Itapoá.

The RTGs were chosen first for one simple reason: The machines were given new engines in 2022 and, therefore, are in perfect operating condition, however, explained Rosa Jr., there are plans to extend this policy to the other machines, “although, obviously, we will take into account the condition of each and conduct physical and chemical analyses in the laboratory”.

Porto Itapoá currently has 17 RTGs and has already purchased ten more similar machines, which will start operating in 2023. The new equipment will be hybrids. They will use three times less fuel (diesel oil) than conventional RTGs. They will also be operated by remote control. The Santa Catarina Terminal will be the first in South America to use this system.

In addition, the port has 49 Terminal Tractors (trucks that transport containers within the Terminal), five Reach Stackers (forklifts to move containers) and three Empty Loaders (forklifts for handling empty containers).

In addition, Porto Itapoá has purchased a Portainer (a crane to transfer containers between the quay and the ship) with a 70m reach. The Terminal already has six portainers, four with a 55m reach and 2 with a 65m reach.