Manaus Port Leaves Month-Long Dearth of Ships Due to Drought

Brazil’s northern half is struggling with a historical drought affecting navigation in the Amazon, including cargo transportation. Super Terminais, a private port installed in the Manaus Free Zone (ZFM), is one of the locations that had to adapt to this challenging situation. After more than a month of tribulations, the port finally received its first cargo ship, albeit at only 10% of its capacity.

This year’s drought is affecting most of the Amazonas region. Out of the 62 municipalities comprising the state, 60 are currently in a state of emergency, including Manaus.

Situated in the Colônia Oliveira Machado neighborhood, South Zone of Manaus, Super Terminais had not received ships since September 19th. After over a month, only one ship, the Izmir from MSC, docked at the port with just 10% of its cargo capacity.

The Izmir arrived at the port on Saturday, October 21st, carrying 140 containers filled with supplies for the Manaus Free Zone. This week, the ship departed the capital with 110 containers.

According to Marcello Di Gregorio, the director of Super Terminais, the ship’s arrival required a complex operation. “This ship managed to reach the port terminal due to its specific characteristics; it is smaller than conventional vessels (measuring 184 meters, whereas most ships average 220 meters),” he stated. “Several calculations were necessary beforehand to enable the ship to pass through the most critical areas of the river,” he added.

Gregorio mentioned that droughts typically affect cargo transport but do not usually hinder navigation. “During the dry season, it’s common for ships coming to Manaus to arrive with reduced cargo capacity, approximately 40% of the normal load. However, due to the historic drought this year, the situation is a bit different,” he explained.

Under normal conditions, even during the dry season, the port receives an average of five ships per month.

Marcello Di Gregorio explained that, before reaching Manaus, ships must navigate through two specific sections.

One of these sections, known as Tabocal, is located on the Amazon River near the city of Itacoatiara (176 kilometers from the capital). It’s where ships carrying supplies for the Manaus Free Zone navigate. The other course is at the mouth of the Madeira River, also near Itacoatiara.

Many ships have been unable to pass through these sections and have remained stranded along the way.

“Despite the historic drought, the water depth at Super Terminais [in Manaus] is quite good, reaching 38.5 meters, allowing normal ship maneuvering and berthing. The difficulty lies in navigating ships through the mouth of the Madeira River and Tabocal. Without these challenges, we would be operating as usual,” he confirmed.

Source: G1

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