The ‘BBC Amethyst’ anchored in Porto do Açu, Brazil, becoming the first ship to make the big crossing from Antwerp to the Brazilian sea port. This is considered an important achievement for the Port of Antwerp and the local partners who invested in the Brazilian port.
The ship’s cargo was a Siemens gas turbine, for the new thermoelectric power plant of GNA (Gás Natural Açu Ltda). With a 3 gigawatt capacity, the complex will provide around 14 million of households with electricity.
The gas turbine was first transported by barge from Mülheim, Germany, to the Katoen-natie terminal in Antwerp, where it was loaded into the hold of the BBC Amethyst, along with other bulky components. The project cargo then resumed its journey towards Porto do Açu.
Since 2017, Port of Antwerp International, a subsidiary of the Antwerp Port Authority, has been a shareholder of and long-term consultant to the Port of Açu, which is located in the south-east of Brazil. Porto do Açu is an active private port, developed by Prumo Logistica.
Antwerp and the Brazilian ports combine to ship about 6.2 million tonnes of goods every year. Imports from Brazil include mainly agri-commodities like coffee, meat, fruit, wood, tobacco and steel products. The latter are also shipped as breakbulk. In addition, Europe exports primarily malt, fertilizers, chemicals and potato products via Antwerp to the Brazilian market. The collaboration with Porto do Açu aims to enhance ties between Port of Antwerp and the Brazilian market.
Tessa Major, Commercial Director of Porto do Açu, about Antwerp and Açu, noted:
Both our ports have deep expertise in breakbulk cargo and they both aim for sustainable growth. The fact that the first cargo is project cargo for a sustainable energy project is really the cherry on the cake. We hope this successful case will in the near future lead to many more cargo streams between Antwerp and Açu
