Climate intelligence, a tool to support port operations

Weather and sea condition forecasts are essential to assist ship berthing at the Port (Fabrício Costa/Arquivo AT)

The ability to collect, analyze, and use data on climate and climate change to guide practical decisions. This is the goal of climate intelligence, a tool gaining traction in a context where port operations increasingly require agility and precision.

The concern affects port companies as well as port complex managers. This strategic use of climate data and analytics helps prevent everything from disasters to planning infrastructure, agriculture, and energy.

Autoridade Portuária de Santos (APS) plans to implement a local forecasting platform for sea and weather conditions to optimize the planning and operation of port activities.

“Among the objectives are improving the forecasting model, with greater focus on wind, wave, tide, and current forecasts; visibility; transparency in comparing data measured by stations and forecast models, allowing continuous adjustments to ensure accuracy at critical navigation safety points; increased safety and efficiency of port operations; and improved decision-making related to meteorological issues,” APS states.

In 2024, the manager of the Santos quay signed a cooperation agreement aimed at developing and implementing i4cast, developed by i4Sea. According to the company’s CEO, Mateus Lima, climate intelligence is based on combining data and charts with the region’s historical record. The company, headquartered in Bahia, has been gaining traction by offering solutions through a platform with sea and weather conditions to optimize operations planning.

“The Port of Santos is one of the most delayed, extremely congested. Climate intelligence reduced the waiting time for one of our clients from seven to three days. So it is capable of optimizing a bottleneck, which is ship waiting time.”

Decisions range from the best time to close the navigation channel due to adverse weather conditions to whether to hire a shift of workers for a given work period. He cites an example in which decisions based on climate intelligence are essential.

“If an operations manager at a container terminal knows there is a 75% chance the Port will close at midnight — the scheduled arrival time of a ship coming from Paranaguá — he needs to decide how to act. If the ship arrives at that time, it may remain waiting at the bar, generating costs and delays. One alternative is to advance the voyage,” he notes.

Technology optimizes ship movements

Climate intelligence has become part of terminal routines due to growing logistical demands at the Port of Santos. One example is Santos Brasil, whose focus on optimizing time and berth occupancy has benefited cargo handling.

“We used to rely heavily on climate information available on the internet. But the accuracy was not so precise. That’s when a platform that could provide this predictability came along. So we began customizing terminal operations based on these climate change scenarios,” says Santos Brasil’s Director of Operational Planning, Evelyn Lima.

According to her, this concern began in 2021 due to restrictions on maneuvers of larger ships that were starting to operate in Santos. “We identified that the ship would arrive at the bar, with the operation scheduled, equipment and personnel requested, the berth free, and the ship still could not enter, waiting for the next tide or for bad weather to pass. The tool came to balance this,” she reports.

Evelyn cites an example in which climate intelligence was important for optimizing a client’s time. “The ship was set to arrive at the start of bad weather. Waiting at the bar generates carbon emissions and is very costly. What did it decide? Go first to Paranaguá, where there was a free berth, and within 48 hours proceed to Santos. It is the confidence the terminal gives the shipowner to make decisions.”

Evelyn says she has a team working 24 hours a day in coordination with ship agents. Five days before a vessel’s arrival, it is possible to establish parameters on potential delays. “So we contact shipowners and ask whether it would be worth performing a transshipment here instead of remaining stuck in the South,” she notes.