Port of Itajaí Resumes Dredging of Access Channel to Ensure Safe Navigation

Dredging maintenance at the Itajaí-Açu River Port Complex resumed on October 8, according to information from the Superintendence of the Port of Itajaí (Port Authority). Initially, the dredging will be carried out by the dredger NJORD, which uses powerful water jets to dislodge sediment from the riverbed, allowing the current to carry the debris away.

A large dredging machine (possibly the UTRECHT or the HAM 316, both manufactured in the Netherlands) will arrive at Itajaí in a few days. These are hopper-type suction dredgers with a capacity to store up to 18,000 cubic meters of sediment. Both have a gross tonnage with lengths of up to 160 meters and widths of up to 29 meters.

Once at the Port Complex, the dredger will operate 24 hours a day, ensuring the safety of significant vessel traffic in and out of the port. The goal is to restore the channel depth to 14 meters and reduce the risk of flooding by improving the flow of rainwater from the Itajaí Valley.

The permanent maintenance dredging will be conducted along the access channel — both upstream and downstream — of the Itajaí-Açu River, as well as in the Turning Basins I (in front of the ports of Itajaí and Navegantes) and II (Afonso Wippel Bay – Saco da Fazenda).

“The Port of Itajaí has experienced positive developments over the past 60 days. First, the tenant JBS resumed activities and cleared the container terminal’s customs, and now the contractual issue with the dredging company Van Oord has been resolved,” says Fábio da Veiga, the terminal’s superintendent.

Dredging Services Suspended Due to Payment Issues

Dredging services have been suspended since August due to a debt of R$35 million owed to the Dutch company Van Oord. The port canceled its contract with the company, which was set to run until December 2023.

A new agreement between the Superintendence of the Port of Itajaí and Van Oord was reached. The agreement aims to settle the outstanding debt and renegotiate payment terms, ensuring the immediate resumption of dredging activities.

Under the agreement, Van Oord will be responsible for the permanent dredging work until February 2026, with 16 more months ahead.

“I would like to specifically thank the support of the National Ports Secretariat, the National Waterway Transport Agency (ANTAQ), and especially the Port Terminal of Navegantes, Portonave, which agreed to make an advance payment, allowing and helping to resolve the discussions,” Veiga expresses his gratitude.

“Similarly, I would also like to thank the Itajaí Port Captaincy (Brazilian Navy) and all the professionals at the Itajaí Pilots Association, who were essential during this period to maintain navigation safety. Thanks to them, we were able to serve all vessels without any impact on the port operations of the Itajaí Port Complex,” he concludes.

Source: ND Mais

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