Mato Grosso do Sul’s largest ore port eyes double capacity soon

Mining company LHG Mining, owned by the holding company of brothers Joesley and Wesley Batista, has presented an expansion project for Porto Gregório Curvo, on the banks of the Paraguay River, to increase ore storage capacity from the current 700,000 tonnes per year to 1.5 million tonnes of static capacity.

The project also calls for expanding the port’s structure to allow shipments of up to 15 million tonnes of iron ore and manganese per year. The expansion will require new authorization from environmental agencies.

The port currently operates under Operating License No. 220/2019, issued by the Mato Grosso do Sul Environmental Institute, or Imasul. The facility is located on the left bank of the Paraguay River, in the district of Porto Esperança, about 90 kilometers from Corumbá.

The proposal will be discussed at a public hearing scheduled for Thursday at 6 p.m. in Corumbá.

Investments

Costs are estimated at R$1.91 billion. The project includes brand-new railway infrastructure, a railcar dumper system, conveyor belts, a new stockyard and a pier for ore loading.

According to the company, river transport was chosen after a comparative analysis with road and rail options. The study found lower greenhouse gas emissions for barges, at 263 GgCO2e, compared with 433 GgCO2e for rail transport and 562 GgCO2e for road transport.

Under the schedule, implementation is expected to take place between 2026 and 2029, with operations slated to begin in 2029.

Planned works

A bridge will be built over a water channel that separates the facilities to connect the stockyard, screening area, rail loop and pier.

The works include the removal of vegetation over 66.52 hectares, earthmoving and the opening of access roads. The embankment for the rail loop will require about 1.5 million cubic meters of earth, equivalent to more than 107,000 truckloads. Other structures will require another 162,700 cubic meters of fill.

Operations

The company estimates that the project will generate 1,642 direct jobs during the earthmoving, civil works, electromechanical assembly, commissioning, management and operation stages.

Ore-loaded railcars will arrive by rail and be unloaded automatically through a railcar dumper. The ore will then be moved by conveyor belts to the stockyard, where seven storage piles are planned. The system will include 22 conveyor belts and sprinkler equipment for dust control.

Environmental impacts

The environmental study points to possible impacts on air quality due to dust and gas emissions from machinery and vehicles. According to the company, replacing road transport with rail transport should reduce dust concentration in the Porto Esperança community.

The project also provides for dredging in the Paraguay River channel, a measure that could alter the river’s dynamics and is aligned with discussions over the future concession of the waterway.

The project’s implementation depends on obtaining the necessary environmental licenses.

Source: Correio do Estado

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