Brazil's Paranaguá berth 201 resumes automated operations after fire

Berth 201 of the Brazilian port of Paranaguá resumed cargo movement with conveyer belts on Sunday, November 5th, after having operations were halted by a fire on October 28th, said Portos do Paraná, the company that administers the ports of Paranaguá and Antonina, and the shipping agency Cargonave.

A fire destroyed approximately 400 meters of conveyor belts at berth 201, which accommodates operations of both Cavalca Port Administration (CAP) and Bunge.

After the fire, the berth was closed for a day and then started operating "in direct loading and unloading mode", using vessel cranes, but at least two ships were relocated to another berth in the same port.

CAP and Bunge have separate operations at the berth, but for now, only Bunge has resumed operations there.

The CAP terminal was shut after the fire, while Bunge's terminal was not damaged.

“CAP remains without operations in this berth and has no expected return date”, Portos do Paraná said in the statement.

Cargonave said, in a separate note, that the west export corridor, where berth 201 is located, was allowed to resume operations after Bunge presented “all the requested documentation about the terminal structures”.

Asked for comment by Agricensus, CAP confirmed that the terminal remains closed and that by the end of the week, it may have a schedule for resuming operations.

The company is consulting suppliers on the availability of equipment damaged by the fire.

The terminal has yet to provide a shipment forecast for the remainder of the year.

Berth 201 moves solid bulk for export (soybean, soymeal, corn and sugar).