Towage and marine services provider Svitzer has begun operations in the Port of Itaqui in São Luís, Maranhão, as part of its continued expansion across Brazil.
The Port of Itaqui, located in one of Brazil’s largest port complexes, is a critical logistical hub for the Central-North and Central Brazil corridors. With advanced infrastructure – including grain and fuel storage, deep berths for large vessels, and multimodal transport connections – the port is vital to regional and national economic development.
The start of operations in Maranhão marks Svitzer's ninth port entry in nine years. In addition to operating out of Itaqui, Svitzer operates in Pecém and Fortaleza (Mucuripe), Suape, Salvador and Aratu, Vitória, Santos, Paranaguá and Antonina, São Francisco do Sul and Itapoá, and Rio Grande.
Svitzer’s entry into Maranhão is supported by two high-performance tugs: Svitzer Denise and Svitzer Joaquim R. These modern ASD tugs, with static bollard pulls of 72 tonnes and 76 tonnes, respectively, are tailored to meet the operational demands of the ports of Itaqui, Ponta da Madeira, and Alumar.