Port of Itaguaí handles largest Wozmax bulk carrier

In Brazil, Rio de Janeiro’s Baía de Sepetiba has handled its largest ever vessel. The Cabo Apolo, designated as a Wozmax class, docked in the bay recently. At 327 metres in length and 52 metres wide, it carried a cargo of 225,000 tonnes of iron ore, which it offloaded at the Port of Itaguaí.

This was only made possible because of improvements to the overall river structure. The Bay not only allows access to Itaguaí but also to Porto Sudeste and a range of other private terminals located in the Baía de Sepetiba.

PortosRio president Francisco Martins noted that “the improvements to the river infrastructure carried out by the Port Authority have resulted in greater operational efficiency and better safety conditions for navigation, [thereby] increasing the level of competitiveness of the Itaguaí Port Complex.”

PortosRio, which is responsible for a number of ports in the state, stresses that only the widening and deepening of the main channel ultimately made it possible for Itaguaí to receive such large vessels. In breakthrough came in 2023, when the official draught was changed from 17.8 metres to 18.3 metres, thereby allowing access by Wozmax class vessels. Barry Cross