Paraná port authority announces depth increase in five more berths

Public company Portos do Paraná will increase the operational draft of ships at five berths in the Port of Paranaguá, namely 201, 202, 204, 209, and 211. The increase follows a recent dredging campaign and has been approved by the Captaincy of the Ports of Paraná (CPPR), expanding the operational capacity of the Paraná terminals.

Draft is the depth between the lowest point of a vessel’s keel and the waterline. This new adjustment increases this distance from 12.5 meters to 12.8 meters in the West Export Corridor, General Cargo, and fertilizer berths.

“Last year, we increased the navigation draft in the access channel to the Port of Paranaguá and the operational draft at the berths of the East Export Corridor. This year, after the recent dredging campaign and technical discussions within the Operational Gains Working Group of Portos do Paraná, which also includes the Captaincy of the Ports of Paraná and the 17th Piloting Zone, we are increasing the maximum operational draft of the berths. This will increase general cargo throughput, fertilizers, soybeans, meal, corn, and sugar,” explained Victor Kengo, Director of Engineering and Maintenance at Portos do Paraná.

The draft’s expansion directly impacts loading capacity, ensuring greater competitiveness in the international market. On average, each meter of operational draft means about 7,000 more tonnes of bulk cargo handled. The estimated gain is 2,100 more tonnes of cargo per ship. In other words, potentially more than 378,000 tonnes annually for an average of 180 ships.

WEST CORRIDOR – The bulk cargo loading system through the West Export Corridor in Paranaguá was responsible for handling more than 5% of all cargo in the ports of Paraná, reaching almost 3 million tonnes in 2023.

“Since the beginning of the current administration, we have turned our attention to the West side of the port, which was underexplored and is now seen as a new frontier to be explored. Our goal is to develop this end of the port area further to meet market demand and generate more employment and income for the region,” stated Luiz Fernando Garcia, CEO of Portos do Paraná.

Source: Portos do Paraná

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