Dredging and Expansion: Itajaí Port Secures R$ 689 Million Mega Investment During Lula’s Visit

In an interview with Balanço Geral Itajaí on Monday (May 26), João Paulo Tavares, superintendent of the Port of Itajaí, discussed the announcements President Lula is expected to make during his visit to Santa Catarina on May 29.

According to Tavares, the president will visit the state to unveil a package of federal investments for the Port of Itajaí, totaling R$ 689 million. The funds aim to modernize the port’s infrastructure and enhance the competitiveness of the Santa Catarina terminal, which is considered one of Brazil’s most important ports.

Planned Investments at the Port of Itajaí

Among the initiatives to be announced are:

• New Cruise Pier: Construction of a dedicated structure for passenger vessels to boost regional tourism;
• Channel Dredging: Deepening of the Itajaí-Açu River channel to accommodate larger ships;
• Right Bank Reinforcement: Structural work to stabilize the right margin of the access channel;
• Revamping of the Navegantes Breakwater: Structural improvements to enhance operational safety and efficiency;
• Turning Basin Expansion: Enlargement of the maneuvering area for vessels.

With these upgrades, the Port of Itajaí forecasts revenue of R$180 million by the end of 2025, marking a sharp increase from the R$60 million recorded at the beginning of the year.

Additionally, the investments are expected to attract new business and increase job creation in the region.

Below is a chart showing the container throughput at the Port of Itajaí based on DataLiner data:

Container Throughput at the Port of Itajaí | Sep 2024 – Mar 2025 | TEUs

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

Lula’s Visit to Santa Catarina

The visit comes at a time when the federal government has resumed control of the Port of Itajaí following its federalization in January 2025. The federal administration has also assumed a R$ 48 million debt related to channel dredging, ensuring the continuity of port operations.

Source: ND Mais

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