LARGER THAN THE EIFFEL TOWER

The extra loader from CMA CGM to re-position thousands of empty units (and reefers) and support booming export demand did not go to Santos, as expected, but instead a call to Itajai was made.

The APL Paris is the largest ever vessel to call to the East Coast of South America (347.4m LOA and 10,698 TEU capacity, larger than the Eiffel Tower), but only called to the Port of Itajai.

The Itajaí Port Complex (which includes APMoeller Terminal Itajaí on the right bank and Portonave, owned by MSC, on the left bank) has spent millions of dollars on capital and maintenance dredging and also on a major expansion of its Turning Basin, which previously allowed only ships with a maximum length of 303m but can now go to 350m.

“Incredibly, Santos was not deemed ready to receive this ‘Gigante dos Mares’ [Giant Of the Seas, as everyone is calling it in Brazil], because of over-strict interpretations of what is and what isn’t allowed,” exclaimed one port consultant who works closely with box terminals in Santos.

“The Itajaí Port Authority (IPA) worked in unison with pilots, terminals and maritime authorities and they carried out a crazy backwards manoeuvre for 1.2 km to accommodate this vessel. They had the will and they succeeded.

“Here in Santos we have had some minor problems with the narrowness of part of the entrance channel into the port but if the various responsible authorities got together we could have handled this vessel. The Santos port community is fed-up with the port being used as a political football and with the Port Captain’s department not willing to compromise. We have seen these cargoes usurped by Itajaí,” the executive added, wishing to remain anonymous

“It’s not about the pilots, it is not about tugs, it’s not about the terminals, as they are all prepared to receive these Gigantes. No, it is all about political will and bureaucracy and it needs to change,” he concluded.

Marcelo Salles, the president of the IPA, said that it was the co-ordinated efforts of the “entire port community of Itajai” that meant his port now held coveted achievement of having handled the largest box ship ever to call ECSA. “It is without doubt a dream come true,” enthused Salles.

CMA CGM sent an extra loader to Brazil laden with 1000s of empties so that chicken, pork and beef exporters had enough reefer containers meet rising exports, especially to China, which has seen its domestic pork production plummet owing to African Swine Flu outbreak that started back in mid-2018.

With imports reducing owing to a weak Real in Brazil and increased blank sailings it has been increasingly difficult for Brazilian shippers to get sufficient containers back to their plants for re-stuffing.

Salles added that the arrival of the APL Paris was the sixth manoeuvre with ships over 306m LOA since the new turning basin was inaugurated earlier this year. “It is a milestone for us, because many difficulties had to be overcome and even with so many adversities the region of Itajaí and Navegantes has demonstrated that when this community comes together and seeks what no one believes, the dream here becomes reality,” he concluded.

Robert Grantham, a former commercial director for IPA and now director of Solve Shipping consultancy, laid praise to the current port administration and the entire Itajaí/ Navegantes port community. “It is amazing. I also hear there have been major postmortem inquiries going on in Santos. I think the big problem there is that the port – and its revenue – is so important politically so the terminal managers are just very afraid of speaking out for fear there will be consequences.”

The Itajai Port Complex is Brazil’s second largest for boxes and handled 1.3 million TEU last year.

APL Paris

The APL Paris, operated by CMA CGM, made the journey from Ningbo (departing April 25) in China to Brazil, via the Panama Canal, calling at Shanghai, Qingdao, Busan (South Korea), Manzanillo (Contecon), Balboa, Cartagena (Contecar in Colombia), Jamaica, and then Caucedo (DP World in Domenica Republic), before a 15 day voyage to Navegantes, bypassing Santos.

After departing Navegantes on June 17 she is now heading directly for Singapore via the Cape of Good Hope, thereby completing a Round the World voyage. The vessel is 347.4 meters long with a 45.27 meters beam.

The Itajai Port Authority says: “In terms of comparisons, it is larger than the Eiffel Tower, 300 meters high and its length represents the same length as 3.5 football fields.”

APL Paris is Singapore flagged and was built in 2012 and has a 12.3 meter draft when fully laden.