CS Portos completes investment cycle, expands operations at ATU 12 and ATU 18 terminals in Aratu

CS Portos has entered a new phase of commercial expansion at the Port of Aratu, in Bahia state, after completing an investment cycle of more than 900 million reais at the ATU 12 and ATU 18 terminals and bringing both assets into full operation. The latest step was the start of vegetable bulk operations at ATU 18, expanding the port’s logistics capacity for soybean, corn and sorghum shipments.

According to the company, the terminal’s entry into the grain segment has already begun to generate operational results. In March, ATU 18 loaded a vessel with 35,000 tonnes of sorghum and, in early April, another with 57,000 tonnes of soybeans. The cargoes came from western Bahia and marked the start of vegetable bulk handling at the Port of Aratu complex after 51 years of operations.

With about 60% of the volume projected for 2026 already under contract, the company expects to receive Panamax vessels during the second quarter. CS Portos projects throughput of 6 million tonnes next year, supported by gains in capacity, productivity and scale following the modernization of the two terminals.

The investments were concentrated on infrastructure upgrades and expanded operating capacity, reinforcing the Port of Aratu’s role in serving fertilizer, mineral, ore and grain supply chains.

At ATU 12, the works tripled handling capacity to as much as 6 million tonnes per year, according to the company. Storage capacity was increased to 570,000 tonnes across warehouses and yards, while operational improvements enabled the terminal to receive vessels of up to 80,000 deadweight tonnes, in the Panamax class. With the installation of electric equipment, the asset also increased cargo-handling capacity from 3,000 tonnes to as much as 15,000 tonnes per day.

ATU 18, meanwhile, was adapted to enter the vegetable bulk segment, focusing mainly on soybeans, corn and sorghum. Investment was directed to the installation of classifiers, truck tipplers, truck hoppers, a vehicle yard and four silos with capacity of 30,000 tonnes each. The terminal also added a dedicated grain export shiploader with capacity of as much as 2,000 tonnes per hour.

With that structure, ATU 18 began operations with static storage capacity of 120,000 tonnes and average productivity of as much as 30,000 tonnes per day. For 2026, the forecast is to handle up to 3 million tonnes of grain at the terminal. From 2027 onward, the expectation is to reach 3.5 million tonnes a year, with potential expansion to 7.5 million tonnes annually in later stages.

Taken together, the ATU 12 and ATU 18 terminals expand the complex’s cargo handling, storage and operating capacity, with productivity rising from 300 tonnes per hour to 2,000 tonnes per hour, according to the company.

For CS Portos, the completion of this investment cycle opens the door to a new stage of value capture and business expansion, while reinforcing the Port of Aratu’s role as a logistics corridor for Bahia’s agricultural and mineral production.

Source: CS Portos

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