Grupo Servicios Marítimos (GSM) was distinguished in Liverpool, United Kingdom, as the winner of the Environment Protection Award at the 2025 edition of the International Bulk Journal Awards (IBJ Awards). The recognition positioned the project Grisel N, the first floating terminal for loading, unloading and weighing of grains developed in Argentina, within the group of solutions with positive environmental impact applied to fluvio-maritime logistics.
“The proposal was selected among the most advanced projects in the world for its concrete contribution to environmental protection and operational optimization. It competed in the shortlist of the Cargo Handling category against solutions from Canada, Sweden, the Netherlands, Chile and the United Arab Emirates, establishing itself among the most relevant initiatives in the sector,” the company communicated.
The award was received in Liverpool by Mónica Navarro, CEO of Grupo Servicios Marítimos, together with Tomas Kisslinger, CEO of Neuero, the German company responsible for the CombiFlexiport CF1000 pneumatic unloading system installed on the Grisel N, “key technology for optimizing operational times, energy efficiency and emission reduction,” the entity specified.
Specifically, the Grisel N project managed to convert a 30,000 DWT barge into an industrial floating transshipment unit, equipped with “high-precision unloading, weighing and continuous loading systems, capable of operating in shallow draft areas without the need for fixed port infrastructure,” GSM reported.
“This characteristic -added to the replacement of unnecessary transfer operations, the efficient use of energy, the reduction of auxiliary maneuvers and the optimization of barge movement- turned the development into a more sustainable operational alternative, reducing consumption and emissions associated with traditional logistics concentrated in deep-water ports,” it added.
The proposal is a strategic response to a scenario of “extraordinary low water levels of the Paraná River, together with draft restrictions,” as detailed by GSM, which in recent years forced a “rethinking of how to maintain export competitiveness without compromising environmental efficiency,” the entity pointed out.
“The result: an operational, modular, replicable and environmentally optimized floating terminal, which allows the transfer of grains from river barges to Panamax vessels in the Zona Alfa of the Río de la Plata, reducing logistical times, maneuvers and operational costs,” it added.
“This recognition positions Servicios Marítimos and its ecosystem of technological allies as regional references in sustainable solutions applied to foreign trade, and affirms that Argentine engineering and shipowners have the capacity to compete, innovate and lead on the international stage,” GSM emphasized.
“For Servicios Marítimos, the Grisel N is much more than a technological development: it is a demonstration of Argentine potential and of Servicios Marítimos’ capacity to create scalable, clean and efficient solutions for the global grain trade,” it concluded.
