The National Waterway Transportation Agency (Antaq) released port movement data for the first quarter of 2025, reporting that Porto Itapoá was the second largest container handler in Brazil during this period, moving over 202,000 units.
This placed the Santa Catarina terminal behind only the Santos complex and at the top in Southern Brazil.
Container throughput increased by 37% compared to the same period in 2024, when the terminal handled just over 146,000 containers. This growth rate is more than three times the national average, which was 10% for the same comparison.
Ricardo Arten, CEO of Porto Itapoá, stated, “The Antaq data confirm the consistent progress of Porto Itapoá in the national scenario. This result is the outcome of management focused on efficiency, innovation, and strategic infrastructure investments.”
Porto Itapoá’s expansion plans include a Phase IV project, announced in 2024, with R$ 500 million in investments over the next 12 months.
The project entails expanding the terminal yard by 120,000 square meters by 2026, adding a new portainer crane (the eighth at the terminal), and acquiring 12 hybrid remote-operated Rubber-Tyred Gantries (RTGs), joining the 10 existing ones, which are the first of their kind in South America.
Additionally, nine new terminal tractors will be added, reinforcing Brazil’s largest electric fleet of 20 vehicles powered by 100% renewable energy.
The terminal will also expand the quay by 400 meters to allow simultaneous docking of three large vessels. This project already has licensing approval from Ibama.
On March 21, the Government of Santa Catarina and Porto Itapoá signed a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) contract for dredging and deepening the access channel to Babitonga Bay.
The R$ 300 million investment will enable the port to handle vessels up to 366 meters in length, making it the first Brazilian port with capacity for ships of this size with maximum load.
This project will improve navigation safety, logistics efficiency, tourism, and coastal protection. Uniquely, dredged sediments will be used to restore beaches in Itapoá, increasing the sand area, an unprecedented environmental initiative in Brazil.
With the channel depth increasing from 14 to 16 meters, the Babitonga Bay port complex will be able to receive larger container ships, raising capacity from 10,000 to 16,000 TEUs.
Arten emphasized the strategic importance of the dredging for regional economic development, expecting the project to create direct and indirect jobs and boost national economic indicators. Works are expected to start in 2025 and finish by 2026.
Porto Itapoá is a private port terminal located in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil. It specializes in container handling and logistics services.
