Maersk’s subsidiary, APM Terminals (APMT), is progressing with its plans to establish a new container terminal at the Suape port in Brazil. Initially set for a 2025 launch, the new container pier is now expected to become operational in 2026, according to APMT.
This forthcoming facility will be Suape’s second container terminal, complementing the existing ‘Tecon 1’ operated by ICTSI. In contrast to competing plans to develop a new ‘Tecon 2’ terminal from the ground up, which appear to have stalled, the APMT project will repurpose an existing pier at Suape’s ‘Atlantico do Sul’ shipyard. This adaptation calls for a unique layout, featuring a storage yard partially offset from the pier to avoid interfering with the shipyard’s production area.
In recent developments, APMT’s Brazilian subsidiary at Suape received approval from Brazil’s National Waterway Transport Agency (ANTAQ) to modify its cargo profile to include container handling. Additionally, ANTAQ approved APMT’s request to expand its footprint, enabling the operator to establish an automated container storage yard.
In light of these approvals, APMT Suape has signed an addendum to its contract with the shipyard, committing to invest BRL 1.6 billion (USD 318 million) to expand the terminal and adapt it for container operations.
Upon completion, APM Terminals Suape will boast a 730-meter pier equipped with six large ship-to-shore cranes. The container yard, when fully developed, will include over 30 semi-automated crane-served storage blocks, with the future terminal’s annual handling capacity projected at 0.40 million twenty-foot equivalent units (Mteu).
Meanwhile, ICTSI’s existing Suape facility features a 390-meter pier with a design capacity of 0.72 Mteu, which can be expanded to 1.20 Mteu as demand requires.
In the past year, Suape managed a cargo volume of 0.49 Mteu, slightly down from the record high of 0.51 Mteu in 2021. The port primarily serves Brazil’s three cabotage lines – Aliança, Mercosul, and Log-In, with MSC and Hapag-Lloyd being the main international clients. The port’s regular handling involves ships of up to 9,500 twenty-foot equivalent units.
Sources: Alphaliner, APMT
