BRL 42 Million Investment Slated for Port of Fortaleza

The Port of Fortaleza is set to receive investments totaling R$ 42 million in 2025, according to the budget approved by Companhia Docas do Ceará (CDC) and disclosed to O POVO by CEO Lúcio Gomes. These funds are aimed at modernizing the port’s infrastructure. Compared to the previous two years, this amount surpasses the average investment of approximately R$ 28 million. What fuels growth prospects for 2025, Gomes explained, are ongoing projects and others in the pipeline.

“We haven’t reached the investment levels we aimed for in recent years, mainly due to a lack of a steady project pipeline. We have engineering projects in place, and some are already under execution. I’m quite optimistic that we will achieve at least two-thirds of the R$ 42 million investment,” he emphasized.

In addition to CDC’s direct investments, Gomes noted that private operators at the Mucuripe terminal have also been making contributions. These companies, which handle strategic cargo essential for the port and Ceará’s economy, have invested resources to enhance the Port of Fortaleza’s relevance. Among the key investors are Terminais de Grãos de Fortaleza (Tergran) and CMA Terminais. These companies operate in different sectors within the port, handling distinct cargo types without competing with each other. CMA, focused on container operations, has invested approximately R$ 90 million over the past year and a half, according to Gomes. Meanwhile, Tergran—a joint venture of the three milling companies operating at the capital’s port (J Macêdo, M Dias Branco, and Grande Moinho Cearense)—has invested around R$ 20 million during the same period. These investments have had a direct impact on the terminal’s operational performance.

The following chart provides an overview of monthly export and import container operations at the Port of Fortaleza between January 2021 and December 2024. This information was derived from Datamar’s DataLiner.

Port of Fortaleza | Container Exports & Imports | Jan 2021 – Dec 2024 | TEUs

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

While final figures from the National Waterway Transport Agency (Antaq) are still pending, Companhia Docas do Ceará reports that cargo handling at the Port of Fortaleza doubled in 2024. In addition to container and wheat shipments, fuel transportation at Mucuripe saw an increase last year, driven by the expansion of distributor operations, Gomes revealed. The fuel sector accounts for 52% of the port’s cargo movement, while wheat represents 22%. The port also saw significant growth in container handling. “Last year, we reached 110,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units), significantly higher than the 92,000 TEUs recorded in 2023 and the 36,000 TEUs from the previous year. In other words, we have experienced exponential growth over the past two years, and in 2025, we aim to reach 150,000 TEUs,” Gomes stated.

To support this expansion, he mentioned the final bidding process for Mucuripe’s container yard, expected to take place “mid-year.” Once completed, the yard’s size is projected to expand from the current 9 hectares to approximately 13.5 hectares. With a structured project pipeline guiding the port’s planning, Lúcio Gomes highlighted four significant initiatives expected to be carried out in 2025. Among the most well-known and publicized are the passenger terminal access improvements, with a R$ 5 million investment in road upgrades leading to the terminal, currently in progress, and the video surveillance system upgrade, increasing the number of security cameras from 100 to approximately 300, currently in the bidding phase.

Companhia Docas do Ceará is also preparing projects to restore the petroleum pier, which is critical for receiving fuel stored in the nearby tank farm, the only one in Ceará. Another project under study is purchasing a new cold storage facility to meet client needs and comply with Federal Revenue regulations, Gomes explained. “We also conduct feasibility studies for navigability improvements and future dredging operations. We cannot neglect dredging; over time, sediment accumulates in the access channel and berthing areas. If everything goes as planned, we will carry out a new dredging operation by the end of the year,” Gomes projected.

Source: O Povo

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