Wilson Sons to invest in port support to expand and speed up iron ore exports

Brazilian iron ore exports, which totalled 355 million tonnes last year,  have been turning into one of the most important sectors to port support operators. Wilson Sons, the country’s largest integrated port and maritime logistics operator, carried out more than 7,000 vessel manoeuvres connected to the iron ore market in 2021. Therefore, the company sees it as an opportunity to expand its tugboat business.

Today, Wilson Sons runs operations in the ports of Ponta da Madeira (Maranhão), Açu (Rio de Janeiro), Itaguaí (Rio de Janeiro) and Tubarão (Espírito Santo), which are the most important ports for the outflow of iron ore. The exports of this commodity are mainly destined to China, which imports 70% of the total Brazilian output of iron ore, and to other Asian countries, such as Malaysia, Japan, and Bahrain.

See below the track record of Brazilian iron ore exports to China in 2021. The data are from DataLiner.

Exports of Brazilian iron ore (HS 2601) to China | 2021 | WTMT 

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

The sector is expected to continue growing in the short and medium-term. It is estimated that, as of the second quarter of 2022, the recovery of the Chinese economy will boost demand for Brazilian iron ore. Additionally, projects such as new export terminals in the Northeast will be completed in the next few years, increasing Brazil’s capacity to ship the product abroad.

According to Elísio Dourado, commercial director of the Tugboat division, Wilson Sons has been studying industry trends to adapt its tug fleet to the market in the short, medium and long term. “We came up with a strategy to make our capacity meet the volume of cargo and vessels in the next years, reconciling our fleet and the construction of new tugboats with project information, cargo volume, and even prospective increases in ship size in some ports.”

Safety and sustainability

The desire to make the iron ore production chain more efficient and sustainable requires adaptation from the port operators that operate in the segment. Ships that export bulk solids, such as iron ore, are enormous and have unique operational requirements, requiring four high-tonnage static traction tugs per berthing or unberthing.

With a fleet of 80 tugs, the largest in the country, Wilson Sons is investing in more sustainable and high-powered assets and seeking to offer customized solutions for each client. This year, the company will have in its fleet new tugboats that comply with the IMO Tier III standard through technologies capable of reducing nitrogen oxide (NOx) emission levels by more than 75%.

Source: Comex do Brasil

To read the full original article, please go to:

https://www.comexdobrasil.com/wilson-sons-investe-em-apoio-portuario-para-ampliar-e-agilizar-as-exportacoes-de-minerio-de-ferro/

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