Brazil’s ANTAQ adopts an advanced ship maneuver simulation center to boost port safety and cut costs

Seeking to enhance port concession studies and minimize costs and impacts on Brazilian port facilities, the National Waterway Transport Agency (ANTAQ) will utilize the Ship Maneuver Simulation Center of the Instituto Praticagem do Brasil.

The center features two simulators built to global safety and technology standards. The equipment facilitates assessments of waterway and port projects, supports decision-making for policymakers, and aids in pilot training.

For the agency, benefits also include the expansion of leases in public ports, cost reductions, improved feasibility studies for private-use terminals (TUPs), and the development of sectoral data.

Presenting the simulator, Ricardo Falcão, director of Praticagem do Brasil and board member of the institute, explained: “People who live around the port don’t want accidents. They want a 100% safe port, because factories — and jobs — depend on that facility, whether to receive inputs or to export goods.”

The use of the simulation center by ANTAQ follows a memorandum of understanding signed in July between the agency and the institute.

How it works

The center can simulate ship maneuvers with extremely high precision under different environmental conditions, supporting safer and more efficient decision-making. It is among the most advanced equipment of its kind worldwide.

With nearly 360-degree visual coverage, the simulator accurately replicates a vessel’s hydrodynamic responses and provides all the functionalities of a real ship. The controlled environment even simulates vessel collisions; when this occurs, the system halts and restarts.

The technology also allows testing of port operations under extreme scenarios — such as strong winds, heavy currents, and storms — to prevent groundings, minimize operational risks, and cut logistics costs.

By advancing maneuver planning in Brazilian ports, the simulation center reduces errors in real operations and significantly improves team preparedness.

It also enhances operational safety and brings public and private decision-makers closer to the realities of maritime operations. When designing a new private-use terminal, expanding an existing port’s boundaries, or identifying dredging needs, Brazil’s Navy, port authorities, and pilots are invited to participate in simulations to understand the new conditions. This integration accelerates public policy development and strengthens sector regulation.

With this technology, new port infrastructure can operate more efficiently from day one, meeting the highest safety, environmental, and commercial standards.

Global reference

The simulation center has two central systems. The first was developed in partnership with the Numerical Offshore Tank at the University of São Paulo (TPN-USP), an international benchmark in simulation; the second was developed in collaboration with Technomar Engenharia.

Additionally, simplified simulators are used across Brazil for training new pilots, thereby eliminating the need for overseas instruction. Countries such as Norway, a global leader in the field, are already turning to Brazil for advanced simulations.

The initiative reinforces ANTAQ’s commitment to navigation safety, logistics efficiency, and environmental sustainability in the national waterway sector.

Source: ANTAQ

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