Posted on May 21, 2025
Porto Itapoá recorded over 202,000 containers handled in the first quarter, positioning it as the second busiest container terminal in Brazil after the Port of Santos.
Data comes from the National Waterway Transportation Agency (ANTAQ), which recently published port handling figures for Q1 2025.
Compared to the same period in 2024, when just over 146,000 units were processed, Porto Itapoá saw a 37 per cent year-on-year increase—well above the national average growth rate of 10 per cent.
“ANTAQ’s data confirms Porto Itapoá’s consistent advancement in the national scenario. This result comes from management focused on efficiency, innovation and strategic infrastructure investments,” said Ricardo Arten, CEO of Porto Itapoá.
In 2024, the terminal processed 660,742 containers, maintaining its position as the top handler in Santa Catarina and the third nationwide. To support further growth, the company launched its Phase IV expansion in 2024, a R$500 million investment project extending into 2025.
Key elements of the expansion include an additional 120,000 square metres of yard space (available by 2026), a new portainer, and 12 hybrid rubber-tyred gantry cranes with remote operation—adding to the 10 already in use, which were the first of their kind in South America.
The terminal will also receive nine new terminal tractors, expanding what it describes as Brazil’s largest electric fleet powered entirely by renewable energy.
In parallel, the pier will be extended by 400 metres to enable the simultaneous berthing of three large vessels. The extension has secured environmental approval from IBAMA.
A milestone Public-Private Partnership (PPP) agreement between the Government of Santa Catarina and Porto Itapoá was signed on 21 March 2025 to finance the dredging and deepening of the access channel to Babitonga Bay. The R$300 million initiative is expected to allow 366-metre vessels—capable of carrying up to 16,000 TEUs—to access the bay by 2026.
Beyond logistics gains, the dredging project also includes an environmental feature: the reuse of dredged sediments to widen Itapoá’s beaches. According to Arten, the project will “further boost Babitonga’s ports, which are already breaking handling records, increasing our competitiveness in the global scenario.”
Construction is expected to begin later this year and conclude in 2026.
At the end of last year, the port won recognition as Brazil’s top port for customer experience for the eighth year in a row at a national port sector ceremony.
