Posted on March 28, 2025
The ports of São Francisco do Sul and Itapoá signed a contract on Friday, the 21st, in Itapoá, for the dredging and deepening of the access channel to Babitonga Bay. The agreement marks a historic milestone, distinguished by two unprecedented and innovative aspects. For the first time in Brazil, a public port has partnered with a private port to undertake a project of this nature. Additionally, a portion of the dredged sediment will be used for beach nourishment in Itapoá.
“This will have an extraordinary impact on the economy. By increasing the channel’s depth and width, we will become as competitive as the Port of Santos. This will enable the arrival of 366-meter-long vessels, significantly boosting container throughput. It’s a win for everyone—shippers, sellers, the city, and job creation,” said Governor Jorginho Mello, who also announced the launch of the bidding process to select the company responsible for the project.
“All shipping lines are transitioning to larger vessels, and they will require ports equipped with the technology we are implementing here. This project is a major step forward and positions Santa Catarina at the forefront of the future of maritime trade,” added Beto Martins, the state’s Secretary of Ports, Airports, and Railways.
With an investment of R$ 324 million, the project will allow vessels up to 366 meters in length to berth and operate, making Babitonga Bay the first port complex in Brazil capable of accommodating ships of this size at full capacity. Currently, the bay can only handle vessels up to 336 meters, with a maximum capacity of 10,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units). The dredging project will increase this capacity to 16,000 TEUs.
“This is an extremely important project. The Babitonga Port Complex handles 60% of the cargo hauled through Santa Catarina’s ports. We didn’t have the financial resources to undertake this project on our own, nor did we secure funding from the federal government. Governor Jorginho Mello directed us to find a legally sound and efficient solution. This unique partnership—made possible by the reliability and trust between the private Itapoá Port and the state-run São Francisco do Sul Port—made it happen,” explained Cleverton Vieira, president of São Francisco do Sul Port.
“This is a landmark moment for Santa Catarina’s port industry. What we signed today will fundamentally change the state’s logistics landscape. To put things into perspective, this means an additional 1,000 containers being loaded or unloaded per vessel. With the deepening of the channel by two meters, that number doubles to 2,000 containers per call. We handle about 65 vessel calls per month, meaning an additional 130,000 containers per month—or more than 1.5 million containers per year. This will significantly enhance the competitiveness of companies operating here,” celebrated Ricardo Arten, president of Itapoá Port.
Funding and Project Timeline
The project will be financed through a public-private partnership (PPP): the public São Francisco do Sul Port will contribute R$ 24 million, while the private Itapoá terminal will invest R$ 300 million. The private sector’s investment will be reimbursed in installments until December 2037—approximately 11 years after project completion. Itapoá’s reimbursement will come from the additional port fees generated by the increased vessel traffic and higher cargo throughput once the dredging is completed.
Beach Nourishment Initiative
Approximately 12.5 million cubic meters of sediment will be dredged. A portion of this material will be repurposed for beach nourishment along the Itapoá shoreline, which has suffered from coastal erosion in recent years. This will be the first time in Brazil that sediment from a port dredging project is used for beach widening, potentially setting a precedent for other port complexes nationwide.
Instead of disposing of the dredged sand offshore, this high-quality material will be used to restore Itapoá’s beaches, benefiting tourism in the region.
Project Schedule
The bidding notice for the company that will execute the project is already available on the São Francisco do Sul Port’s website. The public session for bid openings is scheduled for early June. Construction is expected to begin in 2025 and be completed by 2026.
