Posted on February 4, 2026
By Sylvia Schandert
The Port of Suape (Pernambuco) officially announced this Friday (30) the completion of dredging works to deepen its internal channel. With a total investment of R$ 217 million, the project increased the channel depth from 10 meters to 16.2 meters, removing operational bottlenecks and allowing larger vessels to berth, including New Panamax-class container ships.
Funding was shared between the Governo Federal do Brasil, which provided R$ 100 million through the federal budget, and the State of Pernambuco, responsible for a R$ 117 million counterpart contribution. The works began in August 2025 and were delivered on schedule. The upgrade is considered a key technical requirement to enable the new container terminal scheduled to start operations later this semester.
Logistics impact and competitiveness
Deepening the internal channel aligns Suape with the demands of the global merchant fleet, characterized by increasingly larger vessels seeking economies of scale. With the new draft, the port complex eliminates weight and volume restrictions, which is expected to reduce ocean freight costs for regional importers and exporters.
According to the port administration, the project consolidates Suape as the main logistics hub in Brazil’s Northeast. The complex currently handles 94% of Pernambuco’s cargo throughput. The strengthened infrastructure allows the terminal to operate as a cargo concentration and distribution center (hub-and-spoke system) for other shallower ports along the Brazilian coast.
Integration with MATOPIBA and the rail network
Suape’s modernization comes at a strategic moment of logistics integration. With the completion of sections of the Ferrovia Transnordestina, the port is expected to expand its hinterland reach into the country’s interior, capturing part of the grain and mineral flows from MATOPIBA (Maranhão, Tocantins, Piauí, and Bahia).
Beyond waterway infrastructure, the complex is also receiving industrial investments. Petrobras plans to invest R$ 10 billion in the Refinaria Abreu e Lima (RNEST) to implement “Train 2,” which should increase liquid bulk flows — a segment in which the port already leads regionally in chemicals and petroleum products.
According to Agência Nacional de Transportes Aquaviários (Antaq), cargo throughput at Suape has grown 40% over the past four years. The completion of the dredging project, part of the federal Novo PAC investment program, places the Pernambuco terminal on the route of the largest vessels operating in the Americas, ensuring room for further operational expansion in the coming years.
