Portonave Poised for Growth with Major Investment in 2026

The third-largest container terminal in Brazil, located in Navegantes on the northern coast of Santa Catarina, Portonave expects to resume operational growth in the second half of 2026, following the completion of a BRL 1 billion investment plan. The terminal is currently undergoing significant upgrades and modernization across its 400,000-square-meter facility, featuring a 900-meter-long quay with three berths for vessel docking.

Portonave is part of the Itajaí-Navegantes port complex, a critical hub for Santa Catarina’s economy. It facilitates exports and imports of farming and industrial goods that serve the southern region and other states. Navegantes, a coastal and tourist city neighboring Itajaí, has a population of 86,000 (IBGE) and is home to both the port and an airport.

Portonave S.A. – Terminais Portuários de Navegantes is a Private Use Terminal (TUP), the first private terminal in Brazil cleared for container operations, commenced operations in 2007. The terminal is owned by Terminal Investments Limited (TiL), a Switzerland-based company present across 70 container terminals worldwide. TiL is the terminal operations arm of the Italian shipping giant MSC.

By the end of 2024, 75% of the first phase of the investment had been completed on the eastern side of the quay (450 meters), while operations continued on the remaining half. The investment is scheduled for completion in the first half of 2026, according to Osmari de Castilho Ribas, Portonave’s Administrative Superintendent Director.

One key intent of the scheduled investment is to prepare the terminal to operate the latest generation of ultra-large container vessels (ULCVs), which can reach up to 400 meters in length. Currently, the largest vessels docking at the terminal measure up to 350 meters (commonly referred to as ‘mega-ships’), though most ships calling at Portonave are 336 meters long.

“400-meter vessels are already in operation worldwide. We want Portonave to be capable of handling the world’s largest ships. As it stands, we cannot even accommodate 366-meter vessels, which are already calling at Brazilian ports, due to access channel restrictions,” Castilho explained.

To address this, Castilho noted that the access channel to Portonave must be deepened, a project that would also benefit the Port of Itajaí, located on the opposite bank of the Itajaí-Açu River. However, the dredging project depends on a federal government bidding process managed by the Ministry of Ports and Airports.

According to Alex Sandro de Ávila, Secretary of the Ministry of Ports and Airports, the bidding process to select a specialized company for maintenance and deepening dredging is scheduled for this year. The current 14-meter depth must be increased to 17 meters to allow vessels to depart fully laden.

“If we cannot accommodate 366-meter vessels, we risk being left out of major global shipping routes,” Castilho warned. He emphasized that this capability is crucial for Brazil’s competitiveness in international trade.

Containerized Cargo on the Rise in Brazil

Portonave aims to resume full-capacity operations in 2026, posting a throughput of over 1.3 million TEUs per year. Castilho highlighted that Brazil’s container market has been expanding at a double-digit growth rate annually. The terminal handles cargo not only from Santa Catarina but also from across the South, Midwest, and São Paulo regions. “We export a high volume of wood and wood products, as well as animal protein (poultry and pork), and we receive a significant amount of raw materials through imports,” Castilho said.

He also pointed out that containerization continues to gain ground in Brazil, though bulk commodities (agricultural and mineral) still dominate cargo throughput. “Terminals must anticipate this demand and adapt accordingly.”

However, Castilho flagged key infrastructure bottlenecks affecting access to the terminal. The BR-470 highway has been undergoing a duplication process since 2013, service quality on the BR-101 remains inadequate, and there is no rail link to the terminal. “These infrastructure investments are critical,” he emphasized.

In 2023, Portonave recorded a 1.26 million TEUs throughput, down 5% compared to the previous year. The company attributed the decrease to ongoing quay expansion works. “We expect similar figures this year due to ongoing construction, which will continue until mid-2026. After that, we will enter a new growth phase,” Castilho added.

According to data from Antaq, Brazil’s federal port regulator, Portonave ranked third among Brazilian container terminals in 2024, behind the Port of Santos (3.73 million TEUs) and the Port of Paranaguá (1.46 million TEUs). The Port of Itapoá, also in Santa Catarina, placed fourth with 1.2 million TEUs.

The top exports handled at the terminal last year included wood, frozen meats, pulp and paper, machinery, and ceramics. The primary destinations were China, the United States, Mexico, Japan, and the Philippines.

On the import side, key goods entering through Portonave included plastics, machinery, textiles, chemicals, and rubber products, primarily from China, the United States, India, Vietnam, and Italy. The company cited data from logistics consultancy Datamar, noting that tire imports through Portonave accounted for 33% of all tires brought into Brazil, with most shipments originating from Chinese manufacturers.

By Ivo Ribeiro

Source: Estadão

Sharing is caring!