Brazil can expand foreign trade and increase port efficiency

O evento, um dos maiores do setor, ocorre no Panamá desde terça-feira e termina nesta quinta (3) (Divulgação)

Rethinking the business to become more attractive in the global market, investing in decarbonization to increase port efficiency, and strengthening Brazil's relations with Latin American countries to expand trade are some of the points raised by executives interviewed by A Tribuna at TOC Americas 2024. The event, one of the largest in the sector, has been held in Panama since Tuesday and will conclude this Thursday (3).

In parallel to the lectures and panel discussions, the Tech TOC conference offers sessions focused on technology and a trade fair where participants can learn about the latest innovations in the sector.

Grupo Tribuna is represented at the meeting by port consultant Maxwell Rodrigues, who regrets the absence of authorities from Brazilian public ports at the event. He believes the gathering is an opportune moment to attract investments from foreign companies.

Leonardo Levy, Director of Investments for the Americas at APM Terminals and columnist for A Tribuna, notes that the Federal Government shows interest “in understanding how the port system operates abroad, but needs to be more present.”

“The ports of Antwerp (Belgium) and Rotterdam (Netherlands) are in Brazil, so we need to think about taking Brazilian ports abroad. Import cargo chooses its destination at its origin. It is important, in order to bring more cargo to Brazilian terminals, that this promotion is done outside the country,” he adds.

Business Coming from a private use terminal (TUP), Vinicius Patel, Director of Operations and Services at the Port of Açu (RJ), states that “rethinking the business” is something that terminals do “tirelessly.”

“The port sector has a unique opportunity to stop being a link in the chain and become the base, that is, to welcome the industry and the transformation of goods and services into its integrated environment with the logistics chain.”

According to him, ports cannot be limited to being transshipment points. “A sustainable industry operates integrated with low-emission assets, and ports are the best option. We have designed and are developing the Port of Açu as an industrial district with state-of-the-art port assets, prioritizing sustainability in its three pillars”, he emphasizes.

As the Central Vice President for the Americas of the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH), Patel states that “our participation allows this discussion to resonate internationally, thinking about sustainable development for all countries and enabling investments for climate adaptation to the imbalances we already feel firsthand.”

Competitiveness Ricardo Arten, CEO of the Port of Itapoá (SC), who recently worked at the Port of Santos, asserts that rethinking the business is essential to increase efficiency and competitiveness.

“Today, port terminals are reactive to demand, meaning they wait for demand to arrive before investing. This reactivity creates a snowball effect and harms international trade.”

He illustrates with the example of Itapoá, a private port. “We will do the opposite. There, we will be proactive. We have market studies projecting what future demand will be in the next five to ten years, and we will adhere to this projection.”

Bottlenecks Arten mentions that one of the main bottlenecks in the sector in Brazil is the constrained capacity and again cites Itapoá as a solution.

“Today, Brazil is under significant pressure regarding capacity, but Itapoá is preparing investments that will expand its current capacity from 1.8 million TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units) to nearly 4 million TEU. This additional capacity available to the market by 2033 will position the Port of Itapoá as the best option for export and import cargo and as a cargo concentration port for the southern part of the country,” he highlights.

Arten emphasizes that increasing the capacity of Brazilian ports is essential for the country “to become more attractive and move away from the uncomfortable position it currently occupies, with only 1.06% of participation in international trade.”

Decarbonization Vinicius Patel, Director of Operations and Services at the Port of Açu (RJ), participated in a panel on decarbonization and states that the challenge is global and has no easy or cheap solutions.

Patel notes that Brazil is committed to reducing its carbon footprint in the port sector and has influenced the world with initiatives involving ethanol, biodiesel, and renewable energy generation. “About 89% of the energy from our interconnected national system was of renewable origin in 2023.”

According to the executive, companies are focused on increasing operational efficiency, replacing fuels and equipment, and refining processes. “The supply of electricity from the quay to vessels has also been increasingly seen, especially for tugs.”

Patel points out that Brazilian ports play a relevant role in the overall energy transition, presenting projects connected to the production of green fuels such as hydrogen, ammonia, and methanol.

“The Port of Açu recently announced two partnerships with foreign players, one with the Norwegian company Fuella for the production of green hydrogen and another with HIF Global for the production of e-methanol,” says the Operations Director.

He emphasizes the need for a “joint reflection” with authorities and an industrial and port planning approach for Brazil focused on low-carbon industrialization, “generating science and technology, quality jobs, distributing income, contributing to social welfare, and respecting the environment.”

Grupo Tribuna Maxwell Rodrigues, port consultant for the Grupo Tribuna, emphasizes that the group increasingly seeks to align with the international agenda of port business.

“This is one of the largest global fairs in the field, and I had the opportunity to speak with numerous executives from Brazil and around the world to understand the agenda of our sector.”

Maxwell highlights the importance of discussing decarbonization and how to reinvent the port business. “The world requires agility in decision-making, but with a guiding factor for investments and the future of operations, which is the responsive way of investing while protecting the environment in which the port world is involved.”

Finally, the consultant believes it is essential to “clearly address the relationship between the port and the city without interference in the development of both. The world should look at the whole and not just individual interests. Are we seeing a new business model?