Santos Brasil receives authorization to operate at full capacity at the Port of Itaqui (MA)

Santos Brasil has received authorization from Brazil’s National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP) to operate with the full capacity of its liquid bulk terminal at the Port of Itaqui (MA), following the completion of expansion works. The company now has around 200,000 m³ of capacity, the result of investments exceeding R$850 million that began in 2021, when it acquired the asset at a B3 auction.

The ANP also authorized the entry into operation of three new pier lines, which will provide even greater efficiency and agility to services. Each line, with a diameter of 14 inches, allows for high-flow loading and unloading of vessels, reducing total operating time and, consequently, demurrage costs for clients.

In July, Santos Brasil was accredited by Brazil’s Federal Revenue Service to operate as a bonded warehouse for the import and export of liquid bulk at the Maranhão port. This authorization waives the immediate payment of taxes on the total imported volume, allowing customs clearance to be carried out in fractional quantities. Re-export, in turn, can take place without the need for nationalization, ensuring greater flexibility for clients and optimizing the cash flow of their operations.

The company’s entry into the liquid bulk segment occurred in 2021, with the acquisition at auction of three terminals at the Port of Itaqui — two brownfields (existing terminals that were expanded) and one greenfield (built from scratch, with construction completed last month), now unified. Operations began in 2022 with 54,000 m³ and have since stood out for efficiency and service quality.

According to Carlos Quintero, Santos Brasil’s Director of Liquid Bulk, these achievements expand the range of solutions offered to partner companies and create new business opportunities. “Our clients can structure more competitive operations, optimizing cash flow. The port itself also becomes more attractive, as it now offers a broader range of services through our terminal,” he says.

Itaqui is a distribution hub for petroleum derivatives for the Northeast, North, and Central-West regions, with significant growth potential linked to agribusiness. It has solid infrastructure and is connected to major railways, making the port a strategic corridor for Brazil’s Central-West, as well as Northern and Northeastern markets. Santos Brasil’s liquid bulk terminals are bonded and connected to road, rail, pipeline, and maritime modes, and the port is capable of receiving vessels of up to 155,000 tonnes.

Source: Santos Brasil

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