Porto Itapoá have the biggest number of power outlets for refrigerated containers in Santa Catarina

 Terminal rank second in terms of outlets in all of Brazil, with almost 4,000

Porto Itapoá has installed 1,080 additional outlets for refrigerated containers. Adding to the existing 2,892 outlets, the terminal now has a total of 3,972 outlets, the largest number in Santa Catarina and the second largest in Brazil.

Animal protein exports, one of the most important economic activities in the region, represents most of the refrigerated loads handled at Porto Itapoá. According to Felipe Fioravanti Kaufmann, Business Development and Client Experience Director, this segment has found the Terminal to be an important port structure for its activities. “The increase in the number of power outlets was already foreseen in the expansion plan for the Terminal, but their implementation was anticipated in order to meet the needs of the productive sector”, he explains.

The Brazilian Animal Protein Association (ABPA) estimates that 2024 will be a great year for chicken meat and pork production in the country. Pork exports are expected to reach a record volume of up to 1.325 million tons in by the end of the year, an increase of up to 7.7% when compared to 2023. For 2025, initial estimates indicate exports of up to 1.375 million tons, an estimated increase of up to 3.8% when compared to 2024. Chicken meat exports are expected to grow up to 2.2% this year, with estimates of sales totaling 5.25 million tons abroad in 2024, with expectations of reaching 5.35 million tons in 2025. 

Kaufmann highlights how important Santa Catarina is in this scenario: “The 2023 ABPA Annual Report shows that the State was responsible for over 50% of pork exports from all of Brazil, ranking first in this regard. With regard to chicken meat, Santa Catarina was the second largest exporter in the country, representing 21% of total exports”, he says.

In 2023, he neighboring state to the north, Paraná, was the largest exporter of chicken meat, responsible for 40% of total Brazilian exports, and ranked third in terms of pork exports, representing 14% of total exports. “These two States play a significant and important role in the production of animal protein, with a lot of tradition, and unquestionable importance at a global level”, says Kaufmann.

Over 30% growth in exports

Until August 2024, Porto Itapoá had already handled 77,961 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of reefer loads – a term used to refer to refrigerated loads. This number is 34% higher than the number of loads handled in the same period last year, which totaled 57,994 TEUs. “This increase is due to the growth in the volume of exports from clients and the increase in the number of clients that we have served in this segment, which has doubled in the last year”, says Kaufmann. “The market has been increasingly seeking Porto Itapoá as a logistic solution. Our quality and service ability indicators have given reliability to these operations and clients are well aware of this.”

The destination of most of this year’s exports was China, with approximately 13%, followed by the Philippines, with 9.9%, the United Arab Emirates, with 9.4%, and Japan, with 8.4%, among others, this list comprising over ninety countries in total.