Suape receives mission from Chinese company CATL, the world’s largest producer of batteries for electric vehicles

The Suape Industrial Port Complex hosted a technical mission from the Chinese company CATL (Contemporary Amperex Technology Co.), the world’s largest manufacturer of electric vehicle batteries, with a 39% share of the global market. The company is also recognized as a leader in energy storage systems and acts as a major contributor to the energy transition in Brazil and other countries.

CATL’s interests in Brazil and the state of Pernambuco focus on electrifying public infrastructure, decarbonizing port operations, and advancing clean energy storage solutions. The state government, in addition to projects at Suape, is also seeking to assess CATL’s clean energy storage solutions that could meet the needs of public facilities such as hospitals and schools.

The visit to the Suape Complex is the outcome of the mission by the governor of Pernambuco, Raquel Lyra, to China in October 2025, during which the company’s business plan and investment prospects in Brazil were discussed.

The meeting in China was facilitated by the Climate and Society Institute, a government partner, and by the Brazilian Consulate General in Shanghai. A partner of Grupo Moura since 2020, CATL has led Sino-Brazilian initiatives in the lithium battery sector and has sought to strengthen ties with the government of Pernambuco to deploy innovative storage and electrification solutions at the Port of Suape and other public facilities.

Advances

Given the mutual interest in deepening potential joint initiatives, a technical mission was organized at the invitation of the Government of Pernambuco, resulting in a meeting held on Tuesday afternoon (the 16th), which included lunch and a visit to the Suape Administrative Center and to Senai Park, the innovation hub of Senai Pernambuco, in operation since October 2025.

One of the central points of the meeting was Suape’s Carbon Neutral Program, which structures the complex’s strategy for energy transition and the progressive reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The program integrates a coordinated set of initiatives involving green hydrogen and its derivatives, such as e-methanol; the electrification of port operations; energy storage systems; energy efficiency; expanded use of renewable sources; and electricity generation from ethanol as a low-carbon alternative to enhance the complex’s energy resilience.

These initiatives operate in a complementary manner across both Suape’s own infrastructure and the industrial and logistics operations within the territory. With clear targets and a long-term horizon, Suape has committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2038, in line with Pernambuco’s Decarbonization Plan (PDPE), positioning the port as a strategic platform for attracting investments and implementing large-scale decarbonization solutions.

Suape’s president and CEO, Armando Monteiro Bisneto, welcomed the delegation and delivered a detailed presentation on the complex’s structure and upcoming developments in the short- and medium-term. He highlighted projects directly connected to CATL’s area of activity, such as the new cargo and container terminal by APM Terminals, the first 100% electrified terminal in Latin America, with the first phase scheduled to be inaugurated in the second half of 2026.

“We were able to showcase our entire infrastructure, logistics advantages, available areas for new investments, the project to build two new berths, our vehicle yard (the largest in the North and Northeast), as well as initiatives that place us as key players in Brazil’s energy transition,” Armando Bisneto said.

Representing CATL, Filipe Li, Brazil regional manager for Battery Energy Storage Systems, explained how the company—founded in 2011 in the small city of Ningde (Fujian province)—has evolved into a global powerhouse in the battery sector, with operations in 64 countries and more than 40,000 registered patents. He also described CATL’s role in energy transition projects in China, Brazil, and other parts of the world. Outside its home country, the company has manufacturing bases in Germany, Hungary, and Indonesia.

“We had a very positive impression of the potential to contribute to the electrification of the Port of Suape. We will seek to bring solutions that can strengthen Suape and the Government of Pernambuco,” Filipe Li emphasized.

Rayane Aguiar, executive secretary of the Special Advisory Office to the Governor and International Relations (Saespri), stated that there has been guidance from the presidents of China, Xi Jinping, and Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, for CATL’s projects in the country to have Pernambuco as their epicenter, due to the solid partnership with Moura, a company originally from Pernambuco.

Potential

With structuring initiatives, integrated planning, and a strong commitment to renewable energy, Suape demonstrated that it is ready to attract high-impact investments and actively participate in the technological transformation reshaping mobility, industry, and energy consumption worldwide. The closer relationship with CATL reinforces this leadership role and consolidates the port as one of Brazil’s main platforms for energy transition.

The CATL mission also included the participation of Juan Hong Zhu (Director of Solutions for Latin America); Adauto Otto Silva and Cosme Rodolfo Roque dos Santos (both Strategic Accounts Managers); and Sean Shi (Commercial Manager).

Representing Suape were Sóstenes Alcoforado (Director of Sustainability and Innovation), Armando Peixoto Filho (Director of Development and Industrial Management), Renata Loyo (Director of Infrastructure), and Rodrigo Monteiro (Advisor to the Presidency for Investments and New Business).

In addition to Rayane Aguiar, the Government of Pernambuco was represented by Marina Silva (General Manager of International Relations at Saespri) and Guilherme Sá (Executive Secretary for Energy at the Secretariat of Economic Development).

Source: Port of Suape

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