Increase in draft to 13.30 meters boosts operational potential at Cattalini pier

Cattalini Terminais Marítimos has increased the draft of the external berth at its private pier from 13.10 to 13.30 meters. With the additional 20 centimeters, the company enhances its ability to receive LR1-class vessels, which carry larger cargo volumes, enabling an estimated gain of around 1,500 tonnes of liquid bulk per ship.

The increase was formalized through Ordinance No. 188/2025/APPA, which approved the draft expansion for the navigation channel, turning basin, commercial quay berths, and Cattalini’s external berth. The measure was endorsed by the Maritime and Port Authorities and the Paranaguá Pilots’ Association, confirming the safe conditions for vessel maneuvers. Draft refers to the distance between the waterline and the keel, the lowest submerged point of the vessel.

The external berth at Cattalini’s pier can now accommodate vessels up to 229 meters in length and 70,000 DWT (deadweight tonnage, the total safe carrying capacity of a ship). The internal berth, with a 12.5-meter draft, can receive vessels up to 190 meters long and 50,000 DWT.

Innovation

Cattalini’s pier features the port of Paranaguá’s first laser-based docking monitoring system, which records data during vessel approaches. Using a digital display, the system provides real-time information on a ship’s speed and distance from the berth, assisting pilots and tugboats in executing maneuvers with maximum safety and efficiency. As an additional tool, traffic lights with green, yellow, and red signals visually guide safe speed thresholds for docking.

The structure is also equipped with dolphins, fenders, mooring bollards, and winches to support larger vessels.

On the technology front, the pier includes advanced environmental and meteorological monitoring systems. Among them is the Sismo–Hidromares Platform, which provides real-time data on currents and winds. Another is a tide gauge approved by the Navy Hydrography Center (CHM), integrated with the Webpilots system, to monitor tide levels and behavior. Complementing this is the Medusa–Argonautica Platform, which delivers detailed weather forecasts up to seven days in advance, supporting maneuver and operational planning.

Source: Informativo dos Portos

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