The terminal’s 2022 balance sheet registers good numbers in all areas in which the terminal operated
A few days before the end of the year, TCP, the company that manages the Paranaguá Container Terminal, is already counting its achievements in 2022, and can say that it was a good year in terms of productivity, improvements and implementation of social projects for the coastal community of Paraná.
Whether through socio-environmental actions, sports support, or funding of projects through incentive laws, this year TCP showed once again that it values the community in which it operates and wants to promote its development so that, side by side, they can grow in a sustainable way.
The company acted actively in the continuity of more than 60 socio-environmental projects in progress, which benefit not only the population of the region, but also the environment and the local economy. The Solidary Exchange, for example, allows residents to exchange recyclable materials for basic food basket and personal hygiene products. Improvements in schools, community centers, and indigenous villages have also been part of the investments for the community. The most recent work, which counted on TCP’s support, was the construction of 30 houses for the indigenous communities of Paranaguá. The works were carried out in seven months and fully funded by the company. About 130 indigenous people will benefit from the project.
The company also acted in favor of culture and sports, supporting projects via tax incentive laws, such as the Antonina Philharmonic Orchestra, the Association of Parents and Friends of Futsal (APAF), and supporting the local bodyboarder Isabelli Nunes, who won second place in the world championship.
With an environmental focus, the Paranaguá Tree Planting Plan, delivered in 2021 by TCP and sanctioned this year by the city hall, brings an overview of the current situation in the city, which has 8,260 trees, but aims to double this number in the coming years. According to TCP’s supervisor of environmental projects, Katlyn Eliege, the implementation of the plan will bring countless benefits to the city. “From the removal and pruning of those trees that present risks to residents to the improvement in forestation, which impacts landscaping and can decrease the temperature in Paranaguá.”
Such initiatives meet TCP’s goal of promoting community awareness around environmental preservation, which is why the company was awarded the Clima Paraná seal, a project idealized by the state’s Secretariat of Sustainable Development and Tourism. The certificate is awarded to organizations that adhere to the State Public Registry of Greenhouse Gas Emissions. The company was contemplated in the maximum category in which it is framed.
“The programs are part of the legacy that the company wants to leave for the city,” explains the supervisor. “The Terminal is committed to sustainable development in the social, environmental, and economic spheres. We want to bring increasing results for all involved, whether the community, employees, or our customers,” she adds.
TCP Records
Even before December started, the terminal moved one million TEUs and won awards and other records in a historical year. The investment for the goals stipulated for 2022 to be reached is long term. For years the terminal’s management has been prioritizing improvements in infrastructure, technology, and team training in order to expand the operation’s capacity and quality. And the recognition of this effort came in the form of an award – TCP won 2nd place in the Category “Regulatory Compliance: Leasing” of the ANTAQ Award, and first place in the container operation. The award highlights the port and waterway organizations with the best operating and management practices.
Another result of these investments was the succession of records broken by TCP, either in movement or vessel size. In August alone, the terminal broke two productivity records in the same ship: 202 movements per hour (MPH) and 158 PMPH (berth productivity), that is, movements from the moment the ship docks until the moment it leaves. This number was the highest recorded on the east coast of South America so far this year. But it did not stop there.
In the following months, the terminal received the largest end-to-end ship in the terminal’s history. With 347 m long and 45 m wide, the container ship APL Yangshan, from the French shipowner CMA CGM, required a two-shift operation, involving 170 employees and four portêineres (quay cranes for moving containers on vessels).
Finally, TCP counted with the arrival of the largest ship in capacity of its history. The container ship Rio de Janeiro Express, from the German owner Hapag Lloyd, is 335 meters long and 51 meters wide, with capacity to transport up to 13,312 TEUs (20-foot container). The Rio de Janeiro Express is also the largest in capacity to transport reefer cargo that has ever docked at the terminal: it has 2,220 plugs. With the increase in draft and the removal of mooring restrictions, TCP is receiving increasingly larger ships. In addition, the terminal has made large investments in infrastructure and in hiring personnel to quickly meet the growing demand.