Paraná ports are dredging four areas simultaneously using seven pieces of equipment: four dredgers, two barges, and a leveler. The combined work of the fleet speeds up the works to maintain depth at the ports of Paranaguá and Antonina. With R$ 403 million of public funds invested in Portos da Paraná, the Paraná public company, the dredging is fundamental for navigation safety, its purpose being to remove sediment that accumulates on the seabed. The contract began in 2019 and activity will continue until 2023. According to Luiz Fernando Garcia, CEO of Portos do Paraná, the simultaneous dredging allows the services to be completed faster, reducing the impacts on operations. “When the works are completed, the Port of Paranaguá will be able to receive larger ships. This has a direct impact on the amount of cargo handled, jobs generated, and our population’s income”. The current stage must maintain a depth of 16.5 meters in the external area of the channel (Alpha); 15.5 meters in the internal area of the channel, closest to Ilha do Mel (Bravo 1); 14.5 meters in the inner area, closest to Ilha das Cobras (Bravo 2) and Evolution Basin (Charlie I and III); in addition to the 12.5 meters of draft in the berths at the Port of Paranaguá. Since 2019, 5.4 million cubic meters of sediment have been dredged in the ports of Paraná. The dredged sediment dump area is located more than 20 kilometers from Ilha da Galheta and Ilha do Mel. Regulated by the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA), the disposal area was defined using studies of currents and other climatic aspects and was found to be the most suitable area to dispose of the dredged material without causing environmental damage.
Source: Datamar News