Port of Itajaí invests R$4.5m in real-time monitoring system

The Port of Itajaí will implement a real-time monitoring system worth more than R$4 million to track navigation conditions in its access channel, as the Santa Catarina terminal prepares for weather-related disruptions associated with El Niño.

The Port of Itajaí monitoring system is designed to support operations at a terminal directly affected by sudden changes in weather and by conditions on the Itajaí-Açu River, which can alter navigability in the port area.

The emergency contract was published in Brazil’s Federal Official Gazette on Monday, September 14. It provides for 24-hour monitoring of factors such as currents, tides, waves, wind, visibility and rainfall.

The data will support decisions on access conditions and vessel maneuvers for ships entering and leaving the port complex.

See below a historical overview of container throughput in international trade at the Port of Itajaí from September 2024 to July 2026. The data comes from DataLiner and excludes cabotage and other domestic movements:

International Container Throughput at the Port of Itajaí | Sep 2024 – Jul 2026 | TEU

Source: DataLiner (Click here to request a demo)

According to the Port of Itajaí Superintendency, or SPI, the system will include four physical stations and two numerical modeling points, covering about 9.3 kilometers of the waterway access to the complex, from the outer area to the turning basins and berths.

The information collected is expected to help the port authority assess channel conditions before and during operations, giving greater safety to decisions involving vessel access and maneuvers. The system should also allow a faster response to changes in the Itajaí-Açu River.

SPI said the emergency procurement was necessary because of the conditions forecast for the region during El Niño. According to technical documents, the phenomenon could worsen shoaling and increase hydrodynamic variability in the estuary, making navigation conditions more unpredictable.

The contract will run for up to 180 days and was signed for R$4.48 million with UMI SAN Serviços de Apoio à Navegação e Engenharia Ltda. During the contract period, the system is expected to operate continuously, allowing channel conditions to be monitored without interruption.

The measure is intended to increase safety and predictability at the Port of Itajaí during a period of greater climate instability. With real-time data on river and weather conditions, the goal is to improve the port’s ability to anticipate risks and make navigation decisions.

The new Port of Itajaí monitoring system adds another layer of operational control at one of southern Brazil’s key logistics corridors, where river conditions, channel access and weather variability can directly affect cargo flows.

Source: NSC Total

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