• 2 min de lectura
• 2 min de lectura
To ensure navigability and operational safety in the Paranaguá Channel, Portos do Paraná has initiated the 2026 maintenance dredging campaign. The operation, which began at the end of April, is being carried out by the dredger Vox Amália, from the company Van Oord, and is expected to be completed by the end of June.
Maintenance dredging ensures adequate conditions for channel navigation, as sediment accumulates over time on the channel bed, reducing the available depth for vessel passage.
"As the operational draft of the Port of Paranaguá is 13.3 meters, we need to ensure a safe depth for navigation," explained Julia Teresa Bruch, Maritime Engineering Coordinator at Portos do Paraná.
In 2025 alone, 2,892 vessels accessed the Paraná ports through the access channel, which is over 40 kilometers long. The operational efficiency of the channel allowed the public company to achieve a historic movement of over 73.5 million tons of cargo.
Dredging begins with bathymetry, a method used to measure the depth of submerged areas and map the channel's relief. This process is essential to determine the exact volume of sediment that needs to be removed in each section.
The dredger operates 24 hours a day, and all cycles are carried out in compliance with environmental regulations. During the operation, accumulated sediments are removed from the stretch extending from the entrance of the Paranaguá Channel to the Antonina turning basin.
The Vox Amália is a Dutch-flagged Hopper dredger with a capacity of up to 18,000 cubic meters. "The dredger removes accumulated sediments, which are transported to the internal hopper, and at the end of the cycle, the material is discharged into a safe area," highlighted Jonatas Evangelista Ferreira, Infrastructure and Mooring Coordinator at Portos do Paraná.
The campaign is executed by the Itiberê Dredging Consortium, maintained by Portos do Paraná, and follows the requirements set forth in the environmental window.
