/ Agencia Brasil
Petrobras and its logistics subsidiary Transpetro will invest R$ 2.9 billion (USD 539.3 million) in five gas carriers, 18 barges, and 18 tugboats. According to the company, these ships will increase the gas carrier fleet from six to fourteen, tripling its current capacity for transporting liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and its derivatives.
The goal, according to the company, is to reduce dependence on chartering, providing greater flexibility and efficiency to the logistical operations for moving LPG and other products. The new gas carriers will be up to 20% more energy efficient, will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30%, and will be able to operate in electrified ports.
The barges and tugboats mark Transpetro’s entry into inland navigation, that is, in sheltered or partially sheltered waters such as rivers, lakes, canals, bays, and lagoons. With these vessels, the shipping company will have its own fleet to supply strategic centers such as Belém (PA), Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Santos (SP), Paranaguá (PR), and Rio Grande (RS).
The vessels are part of the Open Sea Program, an initiative aimed at renewing and expanding the Petrobras system fleet. The construction contracts were signed in a ceremony in Rio Grande (RS).
The Open Sea Program will have an estimated investment of USD 6 billion between 2026 and 2030, approximately R$32 billion. The initiative foresees the construction of 20 coastal vessels, in addition to 18 barges and 18 tugboats, as well as the chartering of 40 new support vessels to renew the fleet that supports exploration and production (E&P) activities.
The ships will be operated by Transpetro and built in shipyards in three states. In Rio Grande do Sul, the Rio Grande Shipyard will be responsible for building the gas carriers. In Amazonas, Bertolini Construção Naval da Amazônia will create the 18 barges. In Santa Catarina, the Indústria Naval Catarinense shipyard will manufacture the 18 tugboats.
