Port of Paranaguá Celebrates 90 Years Anniversary with Billion-Real Project

Governor Carlos Massa Ratinho Junior announced on Monday (17), during a ceremony celebrating the port’s anniversary, a R$ 1 billion investment for the construction of a T-shaped pier, which will boost cargo throughput at the terminal.

This marks the first time the state has injected Treasury funds into the Port of Paranaguá. The amount will be supplemented by an additional R$ 1.2 billion from the private sector, sourced from concession fees for terminals PAR 14, 15, and 25, which are set to be auctioned this year.

“We are celebrating 90 years of the Port of Paranaguá, a project originally envisioned by Dom Pedro II, and today it remains a great source of pride for Paraná and Brazil, thanks to the efforts of all its workers,” said the governor. “This is a port that constantly sets new records, has been recognized five consecutive times as having the best port management in Brazil, and is the only port in the world to have been invited six times in a row by the UN to speak on sustainability, serving as a benchmark in this area.”

“This is the largest investment in the port in the last 50 years, funded by the Secretariat of Infrastructure and Logistics, for the construction of two berths, with an additional two funded by the private sector,” explained Sandro Alex, Secretary of Infrastructure and Logistics. “This will significantly increase the capacity of the Port of Paranaguá, alongside the Moegão project, which we will inaugurate in December. Both the agricultural and industrial production of Paraná continue to grow, and we need the logistical capacity to keep pace with this expansion.”

The first phase of the project includes building the bridge between the quay and the two new berths (westbound). In the second phase, a second pier will be constructed, completing the “T” with two additional berths (eastbound).

Each berth will have a handling capacity of up to 8,000 tonnes per hour, a significant increase from the current average of 3,000 tonnes per hour. With the ability to accommodate larger vessels, the new structure of the Eastern Export Corridor (Corex) will be able to handle 32,000 tonnes per hour.

The basic project designs are complete, and once the concession processes for the PAR terminals are finalized under contractual criteria, the executive projects will be completed, and construction will begin.

“Our export corridor is one of the port’s central arteries, established in the 1970s, with some investment made in the late 1990s. Since then, it has been in dire need of modernization,” noted Luiz Fernando Garcia, president of Portos do Paraná. “This is an innovative project—an offshore pier extending beyond the coastline into the bay, enhancing operational efficiency and increasing cargo throughput.”

“The state government has meticulously planned advancements across all logistics modes—highways, railways, ports, and airports—all of which significantly impact the efficiency of the Port of Paranaguá,” said Sandro Alex. “In addition to building the new T-shaped pier, we will conduct three new auctions on the B3 exchange this year, ensuring all terminals receive investment and operate within a regulated framework.”

The chart below exhibits Port of Paranagua’s top container exports in 2024. The data comes from DataLiner.

Paranaguá Container Exports | 2024 | TEUs

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

MORE INVESTMENTS – In addition to the new pier, the governor also announced a R$ 35.7 million investment from Portos do Paraná for the revitalization of several streets in Paranaguá. Companies Rocha and Fertipar are donating a project to replace the pavement on 15 streets with reinforced concrete, covering six kilometers and totaling 71,600 square meters.

Portos do Paraná and the state government are already investing R$ 28.4 million in road revitalization and pavement replacement in both Paranaguá and Antonina. “We have a fantastic partnership with the port, as seen in these infrastructure projects, which use concrete pavement to withstand heavy truck traffic,” emphasized Paranaguá Mayor Adriano Ramos.

NAVIGATIONAL AIDS – In partnership with Portos do Paraná, the Brazilian Navy has announced plans to construct the headquarters for the Southern-Southeastern Navigational Aids Service (SSN-8) in Paranaguá. The military organization operates under the command of the 8th Naval District (Com8°DN) and is responsible for maintaining and overseeing navigational aids in the states of Paraná and São Paulo, particularly in the ports of Paraná, Santos, and São Sebastião, ensuring the safety, organization, and efficiency of maritime traffic.

The new facility will enhance SSN-8’s operational effectiveness, maintaining high efficiency levels and fostering the modernization of navigational aids, especially in Paranaguá Bay. This will improve precision and availability at the entrance channel and ports of Paraná.

The headquarters will be built on a strategically located plot in Paranaguá, granted to the Brazilian Navy under a transfer agreement signed with the Superintendence of Union Assets in Paraná (SPU-PR) in June 2024. The site, previously underutilized, is located along the Itiberê River at the entrance to Paranaguá Bay and will now serve to strengthen maritime traffic safety throughout the SSN-8 jurisdiction.

With funding already allocated by the Port Authority, the new SSN-8 headquarters will enable staff expansion and its eventual transformation into a Hydrographic Center, enhancing the services offered by the Port of Paranaguá. This initiative will pave the way for safer navigation and the introduction of new maritime services to the shipping community.

MOEGÃO – The Port of Paranaguá is home to the largest ongoing port infrastructure project in Brazil. The new Moegão, a large grain unloading facility, is approximately 30% complete and expected to be finished by the end of this year. With an investment exceeding R$ 600 million, the project will significantly boost port productivity, reduce the number of railway crossings in the city from 16 to five, and enhance integration between port operators and the quay.

With this new infrastructure, rail cargo handling capacity will increase by 60%, from the current 550 to 900 railcars per day. The grain will be transported to the terminals and subsequently loaded onto vessels through the Export Corridor, enabling shipment to destinations worldwide.

HISTORY – The Port of Paranaguá is managed by Portos do Paraná, a state-owned company that handled over 66 million tonnes of cargo in 2024. It is one of Latin America’s key logistics hubs and a benchmark in port management, having been recognized five consecutive times as the best-managed port in Brazil.

Officially inaugurated on March 17, 1935, the port was originally named Dom Pedro II, in honor of the Brazilian emperor who visited the region in 1880 and championed infrastructure investments, including the construction of the railway connecting Curitiba to the coast via the Serra do Mar.

Since the 1970s, Paranaguá has stood out as a major grain export corridor and, more recently, has solidified its status as a multipurpose port. It is equipped to handle liquid bulk, vehicles, containers, fertilizers, pulp, and various other cargoes. Its operations are defined by efficiency and advanced logistics solutions.

In the same decade, the Barão de Teffé Port in Antonina was incorporated into the Paranaguá complex, leading to the creation of the Administration of the Ports of Paranaguá and Antonina (APPA). In 2014, APPA transitioned into a state-owned company, rebranded in 2019 as Portos do Paraná.

This transformation also brought an administrative shift toward continuous efficiency improvements and the optimal use of its 5,300 meters of quay and public operational areas through long-term lease agreements. Once the leasing auctions, scheduled for this year, are completed, the Port of Paranaguá will become the first port authority in Brazil to have 100% of its public areas fully regularized.

COMMEMORATIVE STAMP AND BOOK – To mark the occasion, Portos do Paraná has launched a commemorative 90th-anniversary stamp featuring an image of the sunset captured by company photographer Cláudio Neves from the Communications and Marketing Department. The photograph will now be featured in correspondence sent across Brazil and abroad.

The event also included the launch of the book Porto de Paranaguá – 90 anos, conceived by Andrea Caroline Xavier e Meyer, with editorial coordination by Fábio Brito, text by Maria Celeste Correa, and photography by Zig Koch and Cláudio Neves. A tribute was also paid to employees of Portos do Paraná.

VISIT TO THE FRIGATE – Following the ceremony, the governor visited the Fragata Liberal (F-43) of the Brazilian Navy, currently docked at the Port of Paranaguá. With 46 years in operation, the frigate is regarded as the fleet’s vanguard escort vessel and boasts high combat capability. The ship is equipped with two triple launchers for surface-to-air missiles, surface-to-surface missile launchers, rocket launchers, cannons, and torpedo launchers.

ATTENDEES – The ceremony was attended by Alexandre Curi, President of the Legislative Assembly of Paraná; Chief of Staff João Carlos Ortega; state secretaries Guto Silva (Planning), Everton Souza (Sustainable Development), Marcio Nunes (Tourism), and Santin Roveda (Justice and Citizenship); Alex Ávilla, National Secretary for Ports at the Ministry of Ports and Airports; Vice Admiral Marco Antonio Ismael Trovão de Oliveira, Commander of the 8th Naval District; André Gonçalves, President of Ferroeste; Sérgio Malucelli, President of Fetranspar; Ágide Eduardo Meneguette, President of Faep; federal deputy Tião Medeiros; and state deputies Hussein Bakri, government leader, and Nelson Justus.

Source:Paraná State Press Agency 

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