With the measure, Paranaguá Container Terminal can now serve larger ships and increase handling capacity.
On October 25, the Administration of the Ports of Paranaguá and Antonina (Ports of Paraná) approved the expansion of the draft for container ships in Paranaguá. The document was signed by the acting director-president, Luiz Teixeira da Silva Junior, and allows the expansion of the main draught and the alternative channel.
The draft is the depth between the lowest point of a vessel’s keel (the part of the vessel that strengthens its structure) and the waterline. With the signing of the document, the main channel will increase from 11 to 12.30 meters of draft and in the alternative channel (Surdinho) from 11.50 to 12.30 meters.
According to TCP, the company that manages the Paranaguá Container Terminal, the new measure will provide safer operating conditions for entry and exit of the terminal, with direct impact on operations. The company’s institutional manager, Allan Chiang, states that the increase in depth allows for a greater movement of containers per ship, in addition to the expansion of stopovers and more space for shipments.
“With the increase in draft, all the restrictions involving berthing and undocking of ships were removed, thus increasing our maneuvering windows, which are working at full speed. In this way, we will be able to receive increasingly larger ships, with lengths between 345 and 368 meters,” he explains.
Expansion of the Berth Draught
This was not the first time TCP receives the news about the increase of the draft. With the completion of the dredging of the terminal’s berths and the approval of the bathymetry, the first stage of the increase was concluded in June, reaching 13 meters for the docking berths (specific place where the ship docks).
Now the terminal is waiting for the completion of the derrocagem works (the process of removing stones and submerged rocks), which are being carried out by the Port Authority and are in the final phase of removing the rocky material. At the end of this work, the expectation is that the access channel to the Port of Paranaguá will reach a draught of 13.5 meters.
It is important to highlight that, thanks to the public administration’s investment in maritime infrastructure in recent years, TCP has been able to gradually increase its operation. “The goal is to reach a sufficient depth to receive the largest fleets, further increasing our handling capacity and consolidate ourselves as a mandatory stop for foreign trade,” concludes Chiang.
