The Brazilian port of Itaquí is implementing a $3.19 billion upgrade programme, which aims to boost infrastructure. This will fund at least 16 new berths, the rebuilding of existing ones and also dredging work. In addition, a new pier will be built to handle cellulose and pellets, while a dedicated grain terminal is also planned. Overall tonnage handled at the port should increase from 40mt (million tonnes) annually to around 150mt.
The port is the final stop for deep sea vessels using the Paraná-Paraguay waterway, being a transfer point for barges bringing produce from the interior down to the sea. It is therefore hoped that the new Santa Fe port will become a regional hub for products from northern Argentina, Paraguay and southern Brazil. In the main, it will handle agricultural commodities amounting to around 3mt a year. The existing port has capacity for just 300,000 tonnes annually.
BC