The continuous increase in volumes handled by CGG Trading’s grain terminal at the Port of Itaqui, in Maranhão, led Corredor Logística e Infraestrutura (CLI), the unit’s operator, to begin considering the possibility of expanding the site’s capacity. After Tegram’s second phase was inaugurated in early September last year, its total capacity increased to 15 million tons per year. Approximately R$ 230 million was invested in this phase to duplicate the railway hopper and belts. “At the mouth of the ‘Mapito’ funnel [confluence between the states of Maranhão, Piauí, and Tocantins], Tegram is a success. As the goals of the first phase were reached early and those of the second phase are also going very well, we have already started studies for a new expansion”, said Helcio Tokeshi, director and partner of IG4, to Valor. In 2020, almost 8 million tons of grain were exported through the terminal, and the volume is expected to reach 10 million tons this year. Most of the cargo is soy, but the flow of corn is also increasing. If this new expansion is done by installing a third berth with a ship loader, there will probably be room for another 7.5 million tons, with investments similar to those of the second phase. But this is just one of the alternatives under analysis, and a final decision will also depend on negotiations with the other Tegram partners.
Source: Datamar News