According to Thiago Péra, a researcher at Esalq-LOG, 70% to 80% of soybean export logistics costs are internal, in the transport between domestic ports. “However, when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions, particularly carbon dioxide, the majority occurs in maritime transport, with the remainder occurring inland.” Brazilian agribusiness mainly uses Panamax ships, with capacities ranging from 60,000 to 70,000 tonnes per voyage. “Meanwhile, other segments use larger vessels, such as Capesize ships, which can handle more than 100,000 tonnes per trip,” he says. According to Péra, using Capesize vessels would benefit the soybean chain in terms of both economics and the environment. “To give you an idea, according to some studies ran, such a substitution would decrease emissions by nearly 30%, also reducing soybean export costs to China by around 14%,” he says. Péra claims that only the Espírito Santo terminal, in addition to the Alcântara Port Terminal in São Luís (Maranhão), is capable of receiving larger vessels in Brazil.
Sources: Canal Rural/Datamar News