Port of Rio de Janeiro receives first 366-meter vessel after access channel expansion

The Port of Rio de Janeiro reached a historic milestone for Brazil’s port sector on Thursday (14) by receiving, for the first time, a vessel measuring 366 meters in length overall. The container ship MSC Katrina berthed at the MultiRio terminal, consolidating investments made by PortosRio to modernize the port’s waterway infrastructure and reaffirming its capacity to handle the largest container ships operating along the South American coast.

Arriving from the Port of Suape, in Pernambuco, and bound for the Port of Santos, in São Paulo, the MSC Katrina is Panama-flagged, has a beam of 48.40 meters and capacity to carry 14,131 TEUs. Built in 2012, the container ship belongs to the New Panamax class, made up of vessels designed to maximize cargo capacity and operational efficiency. Ships in this class are used on long-haul international routes connecting major markets in Asia, Europe and the Americas.

The handling of vessels of this size represents a significant step forward for the port’s competitiveness, as larger ships provide economies of scale, reduce logistics costs and increase the efficiency of foreign trade chains. With the new operational capacity, the Port of Rio de Janeiro becomes more attractive to international shipping lines, strengthens its position on long-haul global routes and consolidates its role as one of Brazil’s main logistics hubs.

Dredging and new operating draft

The arrival of the MSC Katrina was only made possible after the completion of dredging works on the Port of Rio de Janeiro’s Main Channel. With an investment of R$163 million fully funded by PortosRio, the project increased the minimum depth of the access channel from 15 meters to 16.2 meters, allowing an operating draft of 15.30 meters and adapting the infrastructure to receive New Panamax vessels.

In addition to deepening the channel, the project included nautical signaling and buoyage services, ensuring greater safety for large-vessel maneuvers and increasing the operational efficiency of the port’s container terminals, MultiRio and Rio Brasil Terminal.

Source: Portos Rio

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