TCP Handles 1.5 Million TEUs With a 20-Day Lead

Last Friday (28), TCP — the company that operates the Paranaguá Container Terminal — reached the milestone of 1.5 million TEUs handled in 2025. The feat was achieved 20 days earlier than in 2024, the year in which TCP became the third port terminal in Brazil to reach this volume of operations.

The record was set during cargo operations on the CMA CGM Rodolphe container vessel, which is 299 meters long (LOA), 48 meters wide (beam), and has a capacity of 9,400 TEUs.

“Handling 1.5 million TEUs still in November is in line with the 5% growth projections for this year and reflects the commitment and professionalism of the Terminal’s team, as well as the support of the port authority, the Navy, and the Paranaguá pilotage service. Today, TCP is a fundamental hub for Brazilian trade flows, as it is the largest container-handling terminal in the Southern Region and the third largest in the country,” said TCP’s Institutional and Legal Executive Superintendent, Rafael Stein.

According to the latest report, covering the period from January to October, the Terminal exported 557,755 TEUs, a 5% increase driven by shipments of agribusiness products such as meats and frozen goods, wood, beans, and sesame. On the import side, the volume reached 546,880 TEUs, up 2% from last year, mainly boosted by the automotive, chemical, electronics, and machinery sectors.

Below is a historical overview of deep-sea container throughput via the Port of Paranaguá. The chart was produced with DataLiner data and excludes cabotage, transshipment, and other internal moves:

Deep-Sea Container Throughput at the Port of Paranaguá | Jan 2022 to Sep 2025 | TEU

Source: DataLiner (Click here to request a demo)

New Operational Draft

This November, Portos do Paraná issued Ordinance No. 224/2025, approving the increase of the operational draft in the Paranaguá access channel from 12.80 meters to 13.30 meters for container vessels. The change was supported by simulation studies commissioned by TCP and conducted in September at the University of São Paulo (USP) Numerical Modeling Tank.

According to estimates, a 50-centimeter increase in draft corresponds to an additional 400 full TEUs per vessel.

“The completion of rock removal works and the increase in the operational draft will allow vessels calling at the Port of Paranaguá and at the Terminal to carry more cargo per voyage, resulting in greater efficiency for exporters, importers, and shipping lines. The effects of this measure will be observed in the coming months and should further boost growth in 2026,” Stein explained.

Since 2024, the operational draft in the access channel has undergone three revisions, rising from 12.10 meters to 13.30 meters. The 1.20-meter increase adds 960 full TEUs of carrying capacity per ship.

Infrastructure Works and Investment

The results achieved at the Paranaguá Container Terminal follow a series of investments made over the past five years, during which more than R$500 million were allocated to infrastructure works and new equipment.

Anticipating its decarbonization plan and the expansion of reefer plug capacity, TCP completed in 2023 the installation of a gas-insulated electrical substation to meet growing demand. In 2024, South America’s largest reefer yard, with 5,268 plugs, was inaugurated, reinforcing the company’s role as Brazil’s leading export corridor for meats and frozen products. In September 2025, TCP reached a 44% share of chicken exports and 30% of beef shipments.

Operations at the Paranaguá Container Terminal have also become more sustainable. Since 2022, TCP has committed to purchasing 100% renewable electricity, earning the company the I-REC renewable energy certificate for the third consecutive year. In addition, a pilot project to electrify three rubber-tired gantry cranes (RTGs) was completed, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 97% per unit.

New equipment purchases were part of the Terminal’s recent investment package, which included 17 new Terminal Tractors (TTs) and 11 RTGs, giving TCP the largest equipment fleet among Brazilian terminals, totaling 69 TTs and 40 RTGs.

“The success of TCP’s investment plan can be seen in the results achieved in recent years and reinforces the company’s strategy to position the Paranaguá Container Terminal as a global reference in port logistics management and efficiency,” Stein concluded.

Source: TCP

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