On March 30, 2015 Porto Itapoá won the Award of Recognition for Terminal Operations at the 2015 Navis Inspire Awards
Porto Itapoá began operations in June, 2011 and is already considered one of the fastest and most efficient terminals in Latin America, as well as being one of the largest and most important in Brazil for containerised cargo. A privately run company, it has an infrastructure capable of moving 500,000 TEU per year and has already begun an expansion project that will increase capacity to 2 million TEU moved annually.
The terminal enjoys a privileged location on the Baía da Babitonga, which provides safe, facilitated conditions for vessel berthing. With calm and deep waters, the bay is ideal for receiving largescale
vessels, a growing trend in world navigation. In Q1, 2015, Porto Itapoá, moved 17% more than in the same period in 2014, and the figures for 2014 were 40% greater than those for 2013. According to the National Maritime Transport Agency (ANTAQ), the port was the sixth greatest containerised cargo mover in the country, with 528,000 TEU moved.
Mega-ship ready
Three factors make the Baia da Babitonga unique and incomparable to any port access channel in the region. Firstly, the bay offers naturally deep and sheltered waters, minimising the chance of bar closings and berthing delays. Secondly, the bay is extensive, offering one of the largest turning basins on the continent and it is sufficient for simultaneous vessel entries and departures. This drastically cuts vessel waiting time. Finally, the bay’s calm waters allow rapid and safe vessel operations.
The location is one of the most favored in Brazil in terms of depth. For example, areas of the access channel…
