Transpetro, a transportation subsidiary of Petrobras, announced this Monday (23) that it has completed the commercial negotiation stage with the consortium formed by the shipyards Ecovix, in Rio Grande (RS), and Mac Laren, in Niterói (RJ), to the acquisition of four Handy class ships, weighing 15 to 18 thousand deadweight tons. The ships are expected to increase Transpetro’s logistics capacity by 25%.
The negotiation stage was completed on Friday (20). The consortium presented a final price of US$69.5 million per vessel. The signing of the contract is scheduled for the beginning of 2025, when Transpetro is also expected to launch a new tender for the acquisition of eight gas tankers.
According to Petrobras, the completion of this phase marks a relevant stage in the beginning of the first contracts for the Petrobras System Fleet Renewal and Expansion Program (TP 25) and guarantees the increase in the transportation of oil products on the Brazilian coast.
In a statement, the president of Petrobras, Magda Chambriard, said that “Transpetro’s program is essential for the Petrobras System and a great reinforcement for our logistics capacity, guaranteeing the increase in the transport of derivatives on the Brazilian coast and reducing our exposure to fluctuations. charter costs, especially for this type of unit, which have low liquidity in the market. Petrobras and Transpetro are committed to accelerating the country’s development and this program to expand their own fleet proves this.”
According to Transpetro, the resumption of ship acquisition in Brazil occurs after ten years without hiring vessels to expand the fleet. The expectation is that, with TP 25, Transpetro’s logistics capacity will be expanded by at least 25%.
In addition, Handy must include solutions that guarantee greater energy efficiency and lower greenhouse gas emissions. Vessels can operate on bunker or biofuels. The expectation is to reduce emissions by 30% compared to current ships in the fleet.
The Fleet Renewal and Expansion Program was launched by Transpetro in July this year and foresees the acquisition of 25 cabotage ships, which will primarily meet the demands for transporting Petrobras products.
In addition to the Handy, the company will acquire gas tankers and medium-sized vessels, with 16 of these vessels already foreseen in Petrobras’ Strategic Plan.
The company plans to launch the second tender for the program in January 2025, which will be public and international, when eight pressurized and semi-refrigerated gas ships will be purchased. This latest model will allow Transpetro to expand the types of gases transported.
The gas tanks will have a capacity ranging from 7 thousand tons to 14 thousand tons deadweight.
In June 2025, the company plans to publish another bidding process for the acquisition of four medium-sized vessels (MR1).
