Port of Itaguaí main channel depth increased to 20 meters

The maximum depth of the Port of Itaguaí main channel has been increased to 20 meters. The Brazilian Navy approved the excavation on May 24, following the analysis of a hydrographic study conducted near buoy no 5, where the cut was carried out in an area of rocky bottom, which previously limited the depth to 19.5 meters. The data comes from the Port Authority responsible for managing the port, Companhia Docas do Rio de Janeiro (CDRJ).

According to the superintendent of Port Management of Itaguaí and Angra dos Reis, Alexandre Neves, the rocky bottom in question was discovered in 2009 during dredging, and it was necessary to remove it to match the depth of the section with the depth of the rest of the channel: “The intervention, which started in August 2021, was contracted by Porto Sudeste through a donation contract signed with Docas do Rio, and was completed in April this year.”

Alexandre Neves pointed out that “the removal of approximately 108 m³ of submerged rock, although up to 900 m³ were authorized to be removed, was carried out with a clean, sustainable and innovative methodology – with diamond wire, without the need for explosion and following the best practices, with constant records of environmental monitoring, in addition to having undergone technical inspections by the State Institute for the Environment (INEA), by the CDRJ Business Sustainability team and by the Navy.”

The superintendent asserted that the depth increase met the project’s objectives: “the expansion of the depth will provide better safety conditions for navigation and will allow increased operational efficiency and competitiveness for the Sepetiba Bay Port Complex, which includes the Port of Itaguaí and private terminals.”

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