In the early hours of this Friday, November 28, TCP, the company that manages the Paranaguá Container Terminal, recorded the mark of 1.5 million TEUs moved throughout 2025. The milestone was achieved 20 days earlier than in 2024, the year TCP became the third port terminal in the country to reach this volume of operations.
The record occurred during cargo handling on the container ship CMA CGM Rodolphe, which is 299 meters in length overall (LOA), 48 meters in beam, and has a capacity of 9400 TEUs.
“The volume of 1.5 million TEUs moved in November is in line with the 5% growth projections for this year and reflects the commitment and professionalism of the terminal team and the support of the port authority, the Navy, and the Paranaguá pilotage. Today, TCP is a fundamental hub for the Brazilian commercial chain, as it is the largest port terminal in terms of movement in the southern region of the country and the third largest in Brazil,” highlights TCP’s institutional and legal superintendent, Rafael Stein.
According to the latest balance sheet, covering the period from January to October, the terminal exported 557,755 TEUs, representing a 5% increase driven by shipments of agro-industrial products, such as meat and frozen products, wood, beans, and sesame. In the import flow, the volume reached 546,880 TEUs, 2% more than last year, highlighting the automotive, chemical, electronic, and machinery segments.
New operational draft
In November, Portos do Paraná approved ordinance No. /2025, which determines the expansion of the operational draft of the access channel to the Port of Paranaguá from 12.80 meters to 13.30 meters for container ships. The measure was supported by simulation studies commissioned by TCP and carried out in September of this year at the Numerical Test Tank of the University of São Paulo (USP).
According to estimates, the expansion of the draft, that is, the depth between the lowest point of a ship and the waterline, by 50 centimeters means an increase in transport capacity equivalent to 400 full TEUs per ship.
“The completion of the dredging works and the increase in the operational draft depth will allow ships transiting the Port of Paranaguá and arriving at the terminal to carry more cargo per trip, which translates into greater efficiency for exporters, importers, and shipowners. The results of this measure will be observed in the coming months and should further boost traffic growth in 2026,” explains Stein.
Since 2024, the operational draft of the access channel to the Port of Paranaguá has undergone three revisions, going from 12.10 meters to 13.30 meters. The increase in depth of 1.20 meters represents an increase in capacity of 960 full TEUs per ship.
Works and investment
The results obtained at the Paranaguá Container Terminal are the result of a series of investments made in the last five years, a period in which more than 500 million reais have been allocated to infrastructure works and the acquisition of new equipment.
Anticipating the terminal’s decarbonization plan and the increase in the number of plugs in the refrigerated container (reefer) storage area, TCP completed in 2023 the installation of a gas-insulated electrical substation to meet the growing demand.
In 2024, the largest reefer yard in South America was inaugurated, with 5268 plugs, expanding the prominence of the company that already held the title of the country’s largest export corridor for meats and frozen goods. In September 2025, TCP reached a 44% share in chicken meat exports and 30% in beef shipments.
Operations at the Paranaguá Container Terminal also became more sustainable: since 2022, TCP committed to purchasing electricity entirely from renewable sources, which earned the company the I-REC (International Renewable Energy Certificate) certificate for the third consecutive year. Furthermore, a pilot project to electrify three rubber-tired gantry (RTG) cranes has been completed, resulting in a 97% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in the operation of each piece of equipment.
The purchase of new equipment was part of the Terminal’s recent investment package, which acquired 17 new terminal tractors (TT) and 11 RTGs, making TCP the owner of the largest machine fleet among Brazilian terminals, with a total of 69 TTs and 40 RTG cranes.
“The success of TCP’s investment plan can be seen in the results obtained in recent years and reinforces the company’s strategy, which will continue working to make the Paranaguá Container Terminal a global reference in management and efficiency in port logistics,” concludes Stein.
