Concepción del Uruguay Hits Export Figures Unseen Since 1999

More oceangoing vessels, barges loaded with timber, fuel unloading, sand transshipment, and full grain storage at the Terminal Elevator silos mark a steady growth pace in port operations at Concepción del Uruguay.

On Monday, the Uruguayan-flagged tug Punta Diamante and the barge Playa de la Agraciada docked at the port to load 5,000 tonnes of eucalyptus logs destined for the Punta Pereyra terminal in Uruguay.

This operation has launched a new export alternative for the regional forestry industry, boosting job creation and adding another export route.

Last Thursday (Oct 31), loading wrapped up on 20,200 tonnes of pine logs onto the Paiwan Ace, a Liberian-flagged, 183-meter-long vessel. The ship loaded over four days at piers 14, 15, and 16 bis in Concepción del Uruguay before proceeding to the port of Ibicuy to load an additional 13,000 tonnes bound for the port of Kandla, India.

Rising Figures

To date in 2024, the port of Concepción del Uruguay has completed 22 export operations, totaling approximately 336,000 tonnes exported—a level not reached at this terminal since 1999. Between exports, fuel unloading, and sand handling, 467,000 tonnes have already moved through the port this year.

Germany joined the list of destinations with the year’s first shipment of non-GMO soybeans from this province. In addition to India and China for timber, Uruguay has also become a destination through large timber barges, completing four successful shipments so far.

Meanwhile, Pier 23, designated for inflammables, has received 25 shipments totaling 91,700 tonnes of fuel to supply YPF’s facility, representing over 90 million liters of diesel, regular gasoline, and Infinia premium fuel.

Adding to this, the Terminal Elevator Grain silos are operating at full capacity with nearly 18,000 tonnes of corn and soybeans from the 23/24 harvest. Another 7,000 tonnes of processed rice will be stored in the port’s Storage Cell No. 11 in the coming days.

Meeting with Local Authorities

Recently, Concepción del Uruguay’s Mayor, José Lauritto, met with Marcos Di Giuseppe, head of the Autonomous Port Authority of Concepción del Uruguay (EAPCU), to discuss various matters relevant to both the city and the port.

“We discussed the significant role port activities play in the development of Concepción del Uruguay, along with the buoyage work underway by the Argentine Navy via its river base, which aims to complete 50% of the Uruguay River buoyage from kilometer 0 to 214. We also touched on maintenance projects led by CARU and the potential for joint initiatives to boost export operations,” Di Giuseppe stated after the meeting.

For the buoyage, the Navy deployed the vessel ARA Ciudad de Zárate initially, later replaced by the ARA Punta Alta for the same mission.

Regarding dredging, another critical concern for maintaining navigability, Di Giuseppe noted, “There is a three-year contract in effect until April 2026,” adding, “In 2025, we’ll need to start preparing the documents for the next tender, a decision made jointly by the national governments of Uruguay and Argentina.”

Looking ahead, port authorities aim to diversify activities next year by incorporating container shipping. Di Giuseppe emphasized the “immense potential” of the local terminal, considering the “value chain and export levels currently offered by Entre Ríos province, despite the still limited production exiting through its ports.”

Source: Argenports

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