Paranaguá’s Moegão project reaches 95% completion and enters final stage

With the lifting of the last of 54 metal gallery modules that make up its grain and oilseed meal transport system, the Moegão project — the largest port construction project currently under way in Brazil — has reached 95% completion.

The project represents more than R$650 million in investment, funded with Portos do Paraná’s own resources and financing from Brazil’s development bank BNDES.

The modules form a system about 1.7 kilometers long, housing more than 4,000 meters of conveyor belts already installed. The galleries, designed specifically for Moegão, have three conveyor lines that will operate simultaneously and independently, carrying products unloaded from railcars to export terminals.

The receiving hopper building has been completed, as has the fire prevention and firefighting system, a key component for operational safety. Another completed part of the structure is the elevator tower, which will move the cargo received in the hopper to the overhead conveyor belts.

The hopper complex is also equipped with several systems already installed and ready to begin operating. Many of them are located underground, spread across different levels reaching 14 meters in depth — equivalent to a four-story building.

“Moegão, now in its final stage, is a source of pride for us at Portos do Paraná. It is one of the most innovative railway projects in Brazil, and it is highly symbolic and important for our operations,” said Luiz Fernando Garcia, CEO of Portos do Paraná.

The project introduces a new model for Brazil’s rail and port engineering by centralizing, in a single location, the reception of grain and oilseed meal cargoes transported by train before they are loaded onto ships.

The Port of Paranaguá can currently receive up to 550 railcars per day. Once Moegão begins operations, it will be able to unload up to 900 railcars in a 24-hour period, representing a 63% gain in operational efficiency.

When operational, Moegão will sharply increase Paranaguá’s capacity to receive grains and oilseed meals by rail. The port will be able to handle up to 24 million tonnes per year through the system, compared with just over 5 million tonnes today.

The investment is designed not only to meet current demand but also to prepare the Paraná port for expected cargo growth in the coming years. The project was planned to support the expansion of Ferroeste, including a branch from Mato Grosso do Sul, as well as the restructuring of Malha Sul.

“Moegão is infrastructure built ahead of demand, preparing the Port of Paranaguá to absorb cargo flows that will come with the expansion of the railway complex,” Garcia said.

Moegão will serve 11 port terminals in the Eastern Export Corridor, known as Corex, which are responsible for storing products and loading them onto vessels. Each company will be responsible for connecting to the cargo reception system through transfer towers. Some companies have already started that process.

Project enters final stretch

Construction teams are working simultaneously on several fronts, including the final stretch of rail installation.

“Only a few meters of track remain. We expect to deliver this section by the end of July,” said Victor Kengo, engineering and maintenance director at Portos do Paraná.

Work is also continuing on the administration and maintenance buildings located next to the hopper. Another essential part of the megastructure is the assembly of a dedicated electrical substation that will power Moegão.

Rail loop to increase efficiency

The complex has three rail lines that will operate independently, allowing three railcars on each line to be emptied at the same time.

Today, the reception of grains and oilseed meals by rail is not centralized. Railcars are sent directly to terminals, requiring train maneuvering operations. In some cases, these maneuvers interrupt traffic on streets in the port area for more than 40 minutes.

Because trains will no longer need to be split up, the number of level crossings — where rail tracks cross streets — will be reduced from 16 to five. As a result, traffic interruptions will last only a few minutes, enough time for a train to pass, which takes about 10 to 15 minutes on average.

“Studies showed that the main bottleneck for the railway concessionaire in serving the terminals was the need for the locomotive to maneuver individually to reach each terminal. We will improve that dynamic and gain efficiency by centralizing reception at a single point,” Kengo said, noting that Moegão will be able to hold up to 180 railcars at once.

Built on a 600,000-square-meter site, the rail reception complex was designed in the shape of a loop, with access from two points. The circular layout avoids street blockages, improves train entry and exit flows from both sides and makes unloading operations faster.

Environmental gains

The galleries are fitted with equipment designed to prevent dust from dispersing during cargo transport.

The receiving hopper also has systems to capture particulate matter generated during railcar unloading. The residue will be returned to the hopper, helping improve air quality and prevent cargo losses.

Source: Portal Portuario

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