Brazil to build a new $225 million container and cargo port
The Brazilian state of Paraná will soon have a new $225 million container and cargo port at its city of Pontal do Paraná.
The state government is slated to develop the project in partnership with the Paranaguá and Antonina ports authority.
The project will be fully funded by APPA, according to its director Daniel Lúcio Oliveira de Souza.
He said that feasibility studies are already in motion and construction works are scheduled to begin this year.
Called the Porto do Mercosul, officials are planning for the port to accommodate international shipping lines and be a hub facility for containers and other cargo.
The location at Pontal do Paraná city has been chosen for its natural depth of 21 metres which makes dredging unnecessary, said Souza, adding that rapid access to deep seas will also save ships about an hour of 'navigation time'.
“All of these factors will make the Mercosul port able to serve other Mercosur countries. That is the reason for choosing the name,” he said.
The Paraná state ports of Paranaguá and Antonina had double digit traffic growth last year, handling a record 38.2 million tonnes of cargo, a 17% jump from 2006 volumes.
Reports point out how these record figures have come on the back of a $56-million investment in both ports to upgrade infrastructure and logistics over the past five years.
"The APPA ports' performance is even better than the national average, which registered a rise of 6.6% in 2007. Paranaguá is the most productive port in Brazil. Santos is the biggest but Paranaguá is a fourth of the size of Santos and, even so, handled half of its results," said Souza.
The state government is slated to develop the project in partnership with the Paranaguá and Antonina ports authority.
The project will be fully funded by APPA, according to its director Daniel Lúcio Oliveira de Souza.
He said that feasibility studies are already in motion and construction works are scheduled to begin this year.
Called the Porto do Mercosul, officials are planning for the port to accommodate international shipping lines and be a hub facility for containers and other cargo.
The location at Pontal do Paraná city has been chosen for its natural depth of 21 metres which makes dredging unnecessary, said Souza, adding that rapid access to deep seas will also save ships about an hour of 'navigation time'.
“All of these factors will make the Mercosul port able to serve other Mercosur countries. That is the reason for choosing the name,” he said.
The Paraná state ports of Paranaguá and Antonina had double digit traffic growth last year, handling a record 38.2 million tonnes of cargo, a 17% jump from 2006 volumes.
Reports point out how these record figures have come on the back of a $56-million investment in both ports to upgrade infrastructure and logistics over the past five years.
"The APPA ports' performance is even better than the national average, which registered a rise of 6.6% in 2007. Paranaguá is the most productive port in Brazil. Santos is the biggest but Paranaguá is a fourth of the size of Santos and, even so, handled half of its results," said Souza.