The Babitonga Bay dredging program, conducted by Jan De Nul’s giant trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) Galileo Galilei, is moving forward.
During the project, a portion of the dredged material will be used for beach nourishment in Itapoá – one of the largest coastal engineering projects ever carried out in Brazil.
In March this year, the Ports of São Francisco do Sul and Itapoá signed a contract for the dredging and deepening of the access channel to Babitonga Bay.
“ This will have an extraordinary impact on the economy. By increasing the channel’s depth and width, we will become as competitive as the Port of Santos. This will enable the arrival of 366-meter-long vessels, significantly boosting container throughput. It’s a win for everyone—shippers, sellers, the city, and job creation ,” said Governor Jorginho Mello.
With an investment of R$324 million (around $52 million), the project will allow vessels up to 366 meters in length to berth and operate, making Babitonga Bay the first port complex in Brazil capable of accommodating ships of this size at full capacity.
Currently, the bay can only handle vessels up to 336 meters, with a maximum capacity of 10,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units).
The dredging project is set to increase this capacity to 16,000 TEUs.