APM Terminals Suape launches this Friday (22) its cornerstone in the Suape Port Industrial Complex, in Pernambuco. The event marks the beginning of construction of the container terminal which, with an investment of R$1.6 billion in the first phase, will be large enough to compete for parts of the routes that are currently concentrated in the Port of Santos, the largest in the country.
Preparatory works have been ongoing since the beginning of this year, during which time work was carried out to demolish the old buildings. Now, APM Terminals, which is part of the Maersk group, is finalizing the choice of companies that will be responsible for the construction of the pier, yard and buildings. Cargo operations at the new terminal are expected to begin in the second half of 2026.
The assessment of the CEO of APM Terminals Suape e Pecém, Daniel Rose, is that, in addition to there being a natural tendency for demand for cargo movement to grow in the coming years, there is already a capacity deficit in Brazilian ports, which points to an almost natural search for the services that will be offered in the new terminal. “With the start of operations, we will increase container handling capacity by 55%”, says Daniel Rose.
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The investment director for the Americas at APM Terminals, Leonardo Levy, says that the port operator considers the Northeast to be strategic and with enormous potential for the country’s logistics. “The terminal will help the Northeast as a whole to be more competitive abroad. And it will provide importers and exporters with more options. The more options they have, the more competition there is, the better it is for everyone”, he argues.
Among the scenarios designed by Leonardo Levy is that of attracting routes leaving Europe and even Asia. “It may make sense for some shipping lines instead of going to Santos, for example, to come to Suape, as long as it has a terminal with capacity and efficiency”, he explains.
In addition to serving long-haul navigation, the terminal will also be dedicated to becoming attractive for cabotage, which is navigation between Brazilian ports.
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The groundbreaking event is attended by the Minister of Ports and Airports, Silvio Costa Filho, the governor of Pernambuco, Raquel Lyra, the director-president of the Suape Port Industrial Complex, Marcio Guiot, the president of APM Terminals for the Americas region, Leo Huisman, the president of Maersk for the East Coast of Latin America, Ricardo Rocha, among other sector leaders, politicians and local authorities.
1st 100% electrified terminal
According to APM Terminals, its facilities in Suape will form the first 100% electrified port terminal in Latin America. R$241 million has already been invested in 28 electrified equipment, including two STS cranes and seven RTGs with remote control. The chosen machinery is capable of meeting the new generations of ships on the market.
The difference in relation to other terminals is concentrated in the vehicles that circulate within the terminal. This is because the cranes in most ports are already electric. At the APM Terminals facilities, trucks, forklifts and other vehicles will also be electric.
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“The cost of purchasing all-electric machinery is higher today. The maintenance cost is expected to be lower. So the operating cost should also be lower in the long term”, explains Daniel Rose.
The multinational group’s understanding is that there is market appeal for the adoption of electrified infrastructure in view of international targets for reducing polluting gas emissions.
*The reporter travels at the invitation of APM Terminals.
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