Wilson Sons bets on port towage in Brazil

Brazil’s North Arch ports - Itacoatiara; Itaqui; Santarem; Barcarena and Salvador - grew by more than 25% from 2016 to 2021 according to ANTAQ data.

The company has positive expectations for the coming years, mainly due to the various investments planned for the port sector, in addition to the optimisation of the logistics of cargo flow.

"Investment in infrastructure such as railways, for example, will be fundamental to support the projects of the major players in the market. The railway modal is important for the development of the North Arch, in addition to being an excellent way to connect its ports to other regions of the country,” said Mateus Melo, regional manager of Wilson Sons towage division.

The company, for the first time, performed manoeuvres in Santarém, where the towage unit started operating in November 2020. Knowing the importance of the terminal for the region, Wilson Sons was the first towage provider with an azimuth tug with a bollard pull (BP) of more than 45 tonnes in Santarém.

The towage division also has a strong presence in the Ponta da Madeira terminal, contributing to iron ore being the most representative cargo for the company in the North Arch.

An important sector for the Wilson Sons business unit is oil and its derivatives, mainly in the Port of Itaqui where Wilson Sons grew by almost 20% in the volume of ship manoeuvres in the last year, with emphasis on Itaqui, a terminal that has become increasingly important for the region.

The strategic positioning and long-term vision made it possible for Wilson Sons to operate with a fleet of tugboats sized to accompany the development of the ports of the North Arch. “We are the company with the largest availability of tugboats in the region and with the best service coverage in the ports of the North Arch. In addition, we are a reference in providing towage services to various cargoes relevant to the region, such as agribusiness”, explained Mateus.

There are almost 20 tugboats allocated to serve the North Arch. With the introduction of the new tugboats scheduled for the coming years, in compliance with the IMO TIER III standard, which reduces the emission levels of nitrogen oxides by more than 75%, the region is part of the priority list of the company. A reference in safety, the Wilson Sons business unit has had no lost time accidents in the ports of the North Arch for more than six years.

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