Brazil is reviving its maritime industry through investment efforts led by Petrobras
The ceremony was attended by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Governor of Rio Grande do Sul Eduardo Leite, as well as ministers, deputies and other authorities.
Petrobras, through its logistics subsidiary Transpetro, signed contracts worth R$2.8 billion (around US$570 million) on Tuesday to build five gas carriers, 18 pushers and 18 barges at shipyards in Rio Grande do Sul, Amazonas and Santa Catarina, as part of a government-backed effort to revive Brazil’s shipbuilding and charter industries.
According to Agência Brasil, the largest contract – worth R$2.2 billion – was awarded to the Rio Grande Ecovix shipyard for the construction of gas carriers. The first delivery is scheduled for 33 months, with additional vessels to follow every six months. In Manaus, Bertolini Construção Naval da Amazônia will build 18 barges under a R$295 million contract, while Indústria Naval Catarinense in Navegantes will build 18 pushers for R$325 million.
Petrobras CEO Magda Chambriard said the new vessels will be equipped with state-of-the-art on-board technology and will expand Transpetro’s gas carrier fleet from six to 14 ships, effectively tripling its capacity to transport liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and related products. Petrobras said the new gas carriers are expected to be up to 20% more energy efficient and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30%, while also being able to operate in electrified ports.
The contracts fall under the federal program Mar Aberto, which aims to mobilize investments of R$ 32 billion by 2030 to revitalize the Brazilian maritime industry. At the signing ceremony, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defended the government’s industrial policy for the sector, while Transpetro CEO Sergio Bacci highlighted the role of local content rules, the Merchant Marine Fund and tax incentives.
Brazilian authorities have also highlighted the impact on employment, estimating the creation of more than 9,000 direct and indirect jobs, including around 7,000 at the Rio Grande shipyard alone. Petrobras projects that employment in the shipbuilding sector – from 18,000 jobs in 2022 to 50,000 in 2025 – could rebound to nearly 80,000 in the coming years.
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