Itajaí port complex receives first mega-ship

Last weekend, the Port of Itajaí received a mega-ship for the first time. The vessel EVER LAUREL, which was 334.98 meters long and 48.80 meters wide, bears the Singapore flag and has the capacity to transport up to 8452 TEU.  It came from Paranaguá Port and docked at Portonave’ berth 2 on May 31st.  On June 1, the vessel’s exit maneuver was performed, which is the first turn maneuver in the new evolution basin area.

The maneuver began at 10 am, with the ship towed from the stern (aft) to the Afonso Wippel Bay (Saco da Fazenda), where the new basin is located. After being positioned, it completed a 180 ° turn and followed on towards the Port of Montevideo.  To ensure safety, access to the Itajaí Port Complex was prohibited during the ship’s entry and exit. As a result, the ferry boat service, Marina Itajaí, and fishing vessel activity all had to be paused. The maneuver was coordinated and monitored by the Superintendency of the Port of Itajaí, by the Brazilian Navy (Police Station of the Captaincy of the Ports of Itajaí), by Pilotage, by the Port Terminals (APMT and Portonave) and by the tugboat company.

Technical studies and engineering projects for the new Evolution Basin of the Itajaí Port Complex began in 2012. As it was located between the berths of the Port of Itajaí (APM Terminals) and Portonave, the old basin area was limited and did not allow larger ships to maneuver. The Afonso Wippel bay was suggested by one of the oldest pilots in Itajaí, and among all the locations presented, it was, according to technical studies, the most suitable for the new maneuvering area.

The work will be carried out in two stages. In the first stage, already completed, the basin is 500 meters in diameter and 14 meters deep and enables the complex to receive ships of up to 350 meters in length. This stage of works was completed in September 2019, after the completion of several phases such as technical studies, dredging, alteration of the jetties, new nautical signaling, approval by the Maritime Authority, and pilotage training, amongst other things.

An amount of R$174.6 million was invested in the work, of which R$129 million came from the Government of the State of Santa Catarina through the State Secretariat of Infrastructure, R$40.1 million from the Port of Itajaí and R$5.5 million from Portonave (Navegantes).

The first maneuver in the area of ​​the new evolution basin was carried out on January 16, 2020, with a reverse navigation (stern) maneuver, previously unheard of in South America. The ship, 300 meters long, was the first of 12 vessels of up to 306 meters maneuvered in the basin area in a special procedure. With the authorization of the maritime authority to carry out these maneuvers on a normal basis, it was authorized to carry out another phase of special maneuvers, now with ships that are up to 350 meters in length.

The second stage of readjusting the waterway accesses at the Itajaí Port Complex will allow it to receive ships that are between 366 and 400 meters in length.

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