Ceará Export Processing Zone Sees Significant Growth in Cargo Throughput in First Half of 2024

Operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the Ceará Export Processing Zone (EPZ), part of the Pecém Complex, reported a positive balance in cargo throughput for the first half of 2024. A total of 5,194,800 tonnes passed through its gates, marking a 5.8% increase compared to the same period last year.

In the second quarter alone, ZPE Ceará handled over 2.8 million tonnes of cargo, an 18.4% increase from the first quarter of 2024. This also represented an 8.34% growth compared to the second quarter of 2023.

Fábio Feijó, president of ZPE Ceará, attributes these strong results to optimized processes and efforts to expedite operations. “With our Integrated Customs Control System (Sica), vehicles access our customs area in less than a minute without the use of paper. Our goal is to continue modernizing our operational procedures to further contribute to the sustainable development of the State of Ceará,” Feijó stated.

Key Cargoes

Iron ore was the primary cargo handled by ZPE Ceará in the first half of this year, totaling 2,327,397 tonnes—an 18% increase from the same period in 2023. Steel plates produced by ArcelorMittal Pecém, located in Sector 1 of the ZPE, accounted for 1,433,248 tonnes, a 6.6% increase compared to the first six months of last year.

Coal throughput also saw significant growth, reaching 1,331,070 tonnes in the first half of 2024, a 65.7% increase from the same period last year. Other notable cargoes included coke (53,665 tonnes), oxygen (15,996 tonnes), refractory (9,951 tonnes), iron manganese (9,065 tonnes), nitrogen (7,738 tonnes), various goods such as appliances, machines, engines, and parts (3,843 tonnes), and argon (2,828 tonnes).

Future Plans and Green Hydrogen Projects

“In addition to the steel cluster in Sector 1 of ZPE Ceará, we aim to diversify and consolidate investment projects within the ZPE area. Under Governor Elmano de Freitas’ leadership, we are in advanced negotiations to establish green hydrogen projects in Sector 2. We seek to attract new projects, creating new employment and income opportunities for the people of Ceará,” Feijó added.

As part of the Pecém Green Hydrogen Hub project, ZPE Ceará has already signed six pre-contracts for the installation of H2V manufacturing units with companies such as AES Brasil, Casa dos Ventos, Cactus Energia, Fortescue, FRV, and Voltalia. These pre-contracts represent over US$8 billion in investments through 2030, with more than 500 hectares reserved in Sector 2. This is expected to double the number of direct and indirect jobs in the region, currently at 80,000, and significantly boost cargo throughput throughout the Pecém Complex.

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