The west side of the Port of Paranaguá is being developed with public and private works and investments. The silinho, an obsolete structure, is totally demolished, a new pulp terminal is almost ready and the new structure for loading bulk by conveyor belts, too. This end of the port strip is developed to meet market demand and generate employment and more income for the region.

For a long time, the west side of the port was forgotten, recalls Luiz Fernando Garcia, CEO of Portos do Paraná. According to him, actions and attention were focused on the East side, where the Export Corridor is located. “Since the beginning of the current administration, we have turned our eyes to the other side”, says Garcia.

First, there was the repowering and expansion of berth 201. Subsequently, the area, currently occupied by Klabin, was auctioned. There was also the demolition of structures that were no longer compatible with the current productivity and efficiency of the port. “We still have the growth of two new terminals in the West. In short, it is a new reality, the port being placed at its full capacity to meet this increasingly growing demand”, says the CEO.

WORKS – The vertical silo located on the west side of the pier, known as silinho, was built in 1973, was located in a prime area of ​​over 2,000 square meters, was obsolete, in disuse since 2009. Luiz Fernando Garcia explains that the site will provide space for expansion of the port’s operational capacity. An investment of R$ 3.47 million.

The new bulk loading structure by conveyor belts is a private investment by the company Paraná Operação Portuárias (Pasa). In this first phase of the expansion project, which should be completed by February 2022, the company is building a new shipping line and intends to install a new shiploader, to handle up to 2,500 tons/hour.

The second phase, for next year, foresees the construction of a new warehouse with a capacity for 60 thousand tons of sugar or 45 thousand tons of other solid bulk. In total, there will be R$ 117.7 million in investments that should increase the terminal’s capacity, from 3.6 million tons/year to 6.7 million tons/year.

ORDERLY GROWTH – Sandro Ávila, director of Operational Planning, Logistics and Supplies at Klabin, explains that the company is finalizing the pulp terminal west of the port strip, an investment of more than R$120 million. He highlights the harmony with which the transformation has been taking place, with three works taking place at the same time.

Pasa’s new bulk transport structure, for example, passes through Klabin’s terminal. “It’s a job in great harmony with the port community, especially with Portos do Paraná. The administration has always given us a lot of support in harmonizing all the coalition entities that operate the port,” he says.

Also according to Ávila, the support network was also formed among the engineering teams of the works, including those of other companies. “An important fact is the compatibility of works with our partner company, Pasa, which is also developing an expansion, and shares the same space”, he says.

Ávila also recalls that the support of the port authority with the agility in the demolition of the silinho was also fundamental. “It was a project on which we depended to build this terminal. It was also a very fast process, with a very high demolition capacity and efficiency”, he adds.

Source: Portos do Paraná