On June 18, Petrobras, through its subsidiary Transpetro, signed a contract with the Estaleiro Rio Grande shipyard to build four 40,000 DWT MR1 product tankers. The total contract value is $427 million. Based on this figure, the cost per vessel exceeds $100 million. The first vessel is expected to be delivered within 33 months, or in the first quarter of 2029.
According to Petrobras, the new vessels measure approximately 175 meters in length and 30 meters in width. Upon delivery, they will be deployed along the Brazilian coast to transport petroleum products such as diesel, gasoline, and fuel oil. They are equipped with shore power systems, high-performance hull coatings, remote vessel monitoring, and remote vessel operation, maintenance, and diagnostics systems.
The new vessels can operate on biofuels such as ethanol, achieving up to a 20% improvement in fuel efficiency and a reduction of approximately 30% in greenhouse gas emissions, in compliance with International Maritime Organization (IMO) regulations.
This order is part of Petrobras’ “Mar Aberto Program,” which will invest $6 billion to modernize and expand the company’s own fleet. Under this program, Transpetro will build 16 coastal transport vessels, 18 barges, and 18 tugboats; to date, 52 new vessel orders have been finalized under the program.
Other confirmed new shipbuilding projects include: three 7,000-cubic-meter and two 14,000-cubic-meter fully pressurized liquefied gas carriers to be built by Rio Grande Shipyard, with a total cost of 2.2 billion Brazilian reais; eight barges and 18 tugboats to be constructed by Bertolini Amazônia Shipyard and Santa Catarina Naval Shipyard, respectively, at a total cost of 620.6 million Brazilian reais; and an order for three 10,000-cubic-meter semi-refrigerated liquefied /ammonia carriers won via tender by the Chinese shipyard Zhoushan Dashenzhou Shipbuilding, with a total value of nearly $160 million.
Regarding the recently signed contract for the construction of four new product tankers, a Transpetro spokesperson stated: “This new fleet will help the company enhance its logistics capabilities to support Petrobras’ strategy of meeting its growing production and refining needs. Through newbuilds and acquisitions, the company’s owned fleet will grow from 26 to 42 vessels by 2030.”
According to records, Estaleiro Rio Grande officially began operations in 2010 and has since grown into one of the largest modern offshore shipbuilding facilities in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The facility’s main dry dock measures 350 meters in length and 133 meters in width, capable of accommodating large oil tankers, offshore platforms, and medium-sized liquefied gas carriers. It offers services including new ship construction, ship repair and dismantling, and offshore platform operations.
