Posted on July 22, 2026
By Ana Alice
An underwater project in the Tietê River combines controlled explosions, plasma, and bubble barriers to remove an ancient stone obstacle and expand the capacity of one of the country’s main waterway routes.
Brazil has reached the final phase of an underwater engineering operation aimed at removing hundreds of thousands of cubic meters of rock from the bottom of the Tietê River, in the interior of São Paulo.
The intervention takes place in the Nova Avanhandava Channel, a section of the Tietê-Paraná Waterway located downstream from the lock of the hydroelectric plant of the same name, between the municipalities of Buritama and Brejo Alegre.
On April 15, 2026, the Ministry of Ports and Airports and the Government of São Paulo announced that the execution had reached 97%.
The schedule released at that time anticipated completion by June 30, but as of July 21, 2026, no official statement confirming the final delivery of the project had been found.
With an investment reported at R$ 293.8 million, the project deepens and expands approximately 16 kilometers of the channel to reduce the limitations imposed by the rocky bed, especially when the reservoir level decreases.
The work combines controlled detonations, bubble curtains, environmental monitoring, and the application of plasma in areas that require greater control of vibrations.
The goal is to allow the passage of larger and more regular convoys, even during drought periods, without relying so much on maintaining high water levels in the reservoir.
Nova Avanhandava Channel hides rock barrier
The Nova Avanhandava section has rocky formations at the bottom of the river that limit the space available for navigation.
When the water level decreases, the distance between the hulls of the vessels and the rocks also becomes smaller, which may force operators to reduce the transported volume or suspend certain movements.
The project carries out the so-called rock removal, the name given to the process of fragmenting and removing rocks that hinder the passage of vessels.
Unlike conventional dredging, usually associated with the removal of sand, mud, or sediments, the service in Nova Avanhandava needs to break through a solid layer of the bed.
The channel is expected to reach about 60 meters in width and a minimum depth of 3.5 meters after the intervention, according to information released by the Government of São Paulo.
Official documents show small differences in the estimated volume.
The National Department of Transport Infrastructure and the Ministry of Ports and Airports mention approximately 552,000 to 553,000 cubic meters, while the Ministry of Integration and Regional Development reports 553,500 cubic meters of rock.
