In view of the growing demand for an increased cargo handling capacity, SCPAR Porto de Imbituba wants to increase the number of simultaneous berths of up to six vessels. When completed, the expansion work will make the Port of Imbituba the largest in Santa Catarina regarding berthing capacity, with approximately 1.6 km of a linear wharf. Today, the port complex has three piers and can receive up to four vessels simultaneously. The expansion plans should come to fruition in the medium term, but they should begin to take shape in the next 30 days with the recovery and expansion of Pier 3. The interventions on Berth 3 are in the final stages and represent SCPAR’s largest and most important work to date, with a contribution of more than R$ 92 million fully funded by the Port Authority. With completion expected in 2025, Pier 3’s structural reinforcement will widen the berth and enable greater automation, allowing the installation of new cargo handling equipment such as a ship loader. Pier 3 will also receive two dolphins, one for berthing and one for mooring, allowing larger ships up to 300 meters to be accepted at the port, exceeding the current limit of 205 meters (LOA). In addition, SCPAR intends to dredge the site deeper after the work is completed, matching the maximum draft capacity of Berth 3 to that of Piers 1 and 2, which are 15 meters deep. Concurrent with the work on Pier 3, the Port Authority has already finalized the basic project and should launch, in the first half of this year, a tender to find a company to install a dolphin at the tip of Pier 2, increasing the common area of Piers 1 and 2 to 700 m, which today are together 660 m. The structure will allow the permanent berthing of three ships, regardless of their characteristics, different from what currently occurs.
Source: Datamar News