Port of Rio Grande to feature continuous dredging work

The Port Authority Council (CAP) of the Port of Rio Grande passed the authorization to carry out the continuous dredging work in the access channel, an old desire of the market players that hold operations in the only maritime complex of Rio Grande do Sul.

“The continuous dredging will allow larger vessels to circulate in and out of the port permanently, increasing cargo throughput and, consequently, bringing the demand for our services to a higher level,” assessed Sandro Araújo,  a representative at Sdaersgs (Union of Customs Brokers of the State of Rio Grande do Sul).

The meeting was attended by dozens of industry leaders, including the directors of Portos RS, which manages the main ports of Rio Grande, Porto Alegre, and Pelotas, which hosted the meeting.

According to Araújo, until today, dredging was carried out sporadically, always requiring specific authorization for its execution, which caused a reduction in the port’s draft for most of the year.

“With such services being carried out continuously, the draft will always remain adequate for larger vessels transporting more products. The cost will be borne by Portos RS, which manages the Port of Rio Grande,” said the customs broker. He also commented that private terminals in the area, like Tecon, have announced that they will use the Rio Grande dredger to maintain the depth of their access channels.

The Sdaergs representative also highlighted the possibility of increasing cargo transport from Uruguay via the waterway and through the Patos and Mirim lagoons to the Port of Rio Grande.

“This is another life-long dream of the foreign trade community, which could significantly increase cargo throughput at Rio Grande since vessels would not be forced to travel to Montevideo, thus increasing the amount of work available to custom brokers,” commented Araújo, warning that the “implementation of such project may take a long time to happen.”

The 45th meeting of the Port Authority Council opened with the new members of the Council taking office and with the presentation of the preliminary results of cargo throughput in the Port of Rio Grande in the first half of 2022.

The Sdaergs delegate pointed out that dredging should begin this year and is now in the environmental clearance phase. He said that during this time, the terminals should use the chance to advance their initiatives to take advantage of the dredger’s stay, which should come from Germany.

Source: Jornal do Comércio

To read the full original article, please go to: https://www.jornaldocomercio.com/economia/2022/07/855695-porto-de-rio-grande-tera-dragagem-permanente.html

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