Port of Bahía Blanca will import half a million additional tons of grain despite the low water level of the Paraná River

Argentina’s Port of Bahia Blanca will import half a million additional tons of grain by the end of 2024 due to a new drop in the Paraná River.

According to ArgenPorts, if all this extra grain arrives by road instead of rail, approximately 18,000 more trucks are expected to enter local terminals.

As for ships, the reduction above will allow each bulk carrier to load around 8,000 more tonnes without adding more vessels since existing loading capacities will absorb this increased influx of grain.

“This year, at the end of August, we are seeing a significant recovery in the volumes shipped, in the order of 30%,” said sources consulted by ArgenPorts.

Furthermore, according to rainfall forecasts and projections on river levels, the low water level is estimated to persist until the end of 2024. It suggests that the higher level of loading completion, which is already being observed, will continue over time.

“Although it is a bit early to make projections, if this happens, we could be talking about some 400-500 thousand additional tons due to the drop in water levels,” they added.

In this context, while completion levels at the Bahía Blanca terminals used to be between 20,000 and 24,000 tons of grain, these figures have now increased to between 30,000 and 32,000 tons.

Although the situation has not yet reached the critical levels experienced during the peak of the low tide in 2022, grain ships leaving the ports of Greater Rosario are setting sail with significantly reduced cargo.

For months, the decrease in the flow of the Paraná River has significantly impacted grain logistics along the waterway, complicating transport and commercial flow.

Source: Portal Portuario

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