Project improves the Terminal’s operational efficiency, bringing more agility, automation and safety to customers and truck drivers
On Tuesday morning (30), the company that manages the Paranaguá Container Terminal (TCP) held a ceremony to mark the conclusion of the modernization works at the terminal’s Gate 1. The main access point for trucks to the operations yard, the new structure improves vehicle access flow by 200%, increasing the capacity of entry appointments per hour from 50 to 150.
“The refurbishment of our terminal access gates is the result of joint work between the engineering, IT and operations sectors, bringing several solutions that, when integrated, improve the terminal’s operational efficiency, bringing greater agility, security and automation to our customers, especially truck drivers,” says TCP’s operations planning manager, Felipe de França.
Some of the improvements implemented that will bring greater productivity to the Gate are the expansion of the number of lanes at Gate 1, from seven to eight, four of which are inbound, two outbound and two bidirectional; the construction of Gate 3, with a bidirectional lane, located next to the railroad that accesses the terminal; the installation of several monitoring systems and cameras, capable of taking a total photograph of the container and the truck, bringing greater security and agility to the process of entering and exiting vehicles; and the replacement of the old service booths with fully automated totems, which, together with the TCP GO app, exclude the need to use paper in the processes of scheduling entry and issuing the cargo exit receipt, making the operation more sustainable and paperless.
Another factor that brought more operational security to the new structure was the direct connection between Gate 1 and TCP’s internal power substation, SE-01, inaugurated in September 2023, which has a generator capable of supplying demand in the event of a power failure.
With a new runway, updated architectural design, automated totems and innovative security systems, the new Gate 1 structure has improved truck access flow to TCP’s operations yard by 200%.
França also points out that “even during the works at Gate 1, we managed to break our container handling record several times, which shows our commitment to coordinating the execution of the renovation while mitigating any adversities to TCP’s operations and the surrounding structures as much as possible.”
In March 2024, the month before the end of the works, TCP recorded its second highest monthly container throughput at the Gate, with 49,048 transactions. In the same month, the Terminal broke its handling record, which reached 133,083 TEUs (20-foot container units).
“These productivity records are a direct reflection of the Terminal’s investments in infrastructure and the acquisition of new equipment. With the arrival of 11 new RTGs (rubber-tyred gantry cranes) and 17 Terminal Tractors (TT) last year, our fleet of machines has reached 40 RTGs and 69 TTs, significant numbers to meet and even expand the flow of cargo at the Paranaguá Container Terminal,” concludes França.
