Partnerships between Brazilian yards and leading Chinese shipbuilders would support OSV and tanker newbuild plans under Petrobras’ System Fleet Renewal and Expansion Program
Brazilian and Chinese shipyards have signed memoranda of understanding to develop technological and commercial partnerships.
The deals were inked at the Strategic Forum for the Brazil-China Shipbuilding Industry in Rio de Janeiro. The event, held on 5 July, follows President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s state visit to China in May.
State-owned firms Petrobras and Transpetro were on hand to present their extensive shipbuilding requirements for new offshore support vessels (OSVs), MR1 tankers, gas carriers and floating production, storage and offloading vessels over the next five years.
The agreements brought together the largest shipyards from both nations. Representatives from China’s COOEC, CSSC, Cosco and CIMC met with their counterparts from Brazil’s EBR, Rio Grande, Mauá and Enseada to discuss their aligned mutual interests for possible future partnerships, as well as Brazilian shipbuilding content policy, investment incentives, and the Merchant Navy Fund.
The forum was attended by the Minister of Mines and Energy, Alexandre Silveira, Petrobras president, Magda Chambriard, Petrobras engineering, technology and innovation director, Renata Baruzzi, and Transpetro president, Sérgio Bacci.
A technology and commercial partnership with leading Chinese shipbuilders would be a major boost to Brazilian shipyards, which will undertake massive fleet renewal programmes for Petrobras and Transpetro that will require 50% local content.
As of mid-year, Chinese shipyards had 52% of new shipbuilding orders, down from 70% year on year in 2024, according to Clarksons Research.
Mr Bacci said, “The Petrobras System Fleet Renewal and Expansion Program ensures the sector has medium and long-term planning, which will boost the recovery. And the possibility of establishing partnerships with Chinese shipyards, which are among the most developed in the world, allows the Brazilian shipbuilding industry to access new technologies and, possibly, even new orders, which can be shared with the Chinese.”
Given the large shipbuilding requirements of Petrobras, Ms Baruzzi said, “Having a strong domestic supply market is essential for the effective implementation of our projects. Furthermore, supporting the development of partnerships for the domestic industry is one of Petrobras’ business objectives. Brazil undoubtedly benefits from this dialogue between the shipyards of the two countries.”
Launched in June 2024, the Petrobras System Fleet Renewal and Expansion Program is scheduled to contract 52 OSV newbuilds by 2028. The initiative by Petrobras and Transpetro will generate, at this stage, investments of up to R$29.0Bn (US$5.3Bn), reducing the Brazilian oil major’s exposure to chartering and providing flexibility and efficiency for cargo handling logistics operations. The shipbuilding programme will see the acquisition of gas carriers and MR1 tankers for Transpetro’s fleet, as well as OSVs to support the offshore oil and gas production needs of Petrobras.
